Sins of the Past
by strange1
Summary: *SEQUEL TO 'JUST THE COOK' must read first* It's fifteen years later. A lot has changed. A lot has stayed the same. As we all find out, things from our past never stayed buried. They always come back to haunt us. Will they be too much to handle?
1. Chapter 1

Clang. Clang. Clang. It was a familiar sound to the petite dark haired woman. Whether she was awake or asleep, the sound seemed to haunt her. That was what happened when you were considered a troublemaker in prison. Whether it be the other inmates or the guards, you were always a target. From day one of her incarceration, it seemed that she had been singled out. There was another raven haired woman she blamed for this.

Of course there were a lot of things the petite woman blamed the tall Special Forces soldier for. The first was surviving while her husband never returned from that blasted 'conflict'. Never could the powers that be call it a war, though countless lives were lost. The second thing that the raven haired woman had done was be the reason she was in jail. If she had not been going after the guilty woman, she never would have wound up in prison.

"McStevens." The petite woman just lay there. She knew that she was expected to jump to attention. The clanging only grew louder and she cursed inwardly. The guards certainly loved to tease and tantalize her in any way that they could come up with. Almost everything they came up with was pedestrian. Sighing, the woman reluctantly rolled over in her bed, one eye opened. "I'd thought you'd be springing out of bed. Today is the day."

Bonnie McStevens quickly sat up, nearly hitting her head on the upper bunk. She glanced up at the calendar that had been marking the days until her release. Somehow she had forgotten to mark off the prior two days. Perhaps it was a defense mechanism. Perhaps the fear that she wasn't really getting out at this time had caused her to lose track of time. Perhaps it was her cellmates doing. Whatever the reason, she had completely lost track of what day it was.

"You don't even get to share in the cuisine this morning. Your lawyer is here. He wants you cleaned up and ready to go in half an hour." Bonnie nodded absently. She was numb. This day had kept getting pushed back further and further. First, she had run-ins with some of the other inmates. Of course a certain petite blond had testified at her parole hearing. Then there was the incident that had added ten more years to her time in prison. She had not meant for the other prisoner to get hurt that badly. It had been in self-defense, but that mattered not to the judge.

Numbly, Bonnie made her way to the bars, putting her hands through the slot that were just big enough for both of her hands to fit through. The metal stung as it clamped down on her wrists. She remembered the first time that it had happened. The flinching had caused a solid hit to her metal covered wrists causing the handcuffs to bite in and draw just a trickle of blood. That was the first time she truly realized that she wasn't in Kansas anymore.

The prisoner heard the taunts of her cellmate as the door was opened and she was led to the showers. One last time being watched like a hawk as she showered, before she was done with the place forever as she had vowed to die before being arrested again. The petite dark haired woman made quick work not wanting the prying eyes to linger any longer than they had to. Instead of the normal changing area, Bonnie was shown to one that was closer to the front of the prison.

The clothes smelled stale and of mothballs. Still, the jeans and the cotton shirt would feel like silk robes after having donned the orange of the prison for so long. There was actually a mirror in this room. She eyed herself before she finished dressing. Prison had not been kind to her. Her ribs were prominently sticking out as were some 'battle scars'. There were dark circles under her eyes. Her skin was paler than she had ever seen it. Though she wanted revenge, she knew it would take a month or two to recover her strength.

The door opened as she was just pulling the cotton shirt over her head. Luckily she had already put on her socks and shoes as she knew that, even as a soon to be free woman, the guards would treat her as just another inmate until she was out the front doors. That wasn't exactly true as the expected cold steel was not fastened around her wrists. Her arm was still held roughly by the female guard and she was practically dragged the rest of the way to the front of the prison.

Her lawyer could now be seen on the other side of the triple bars. The first area that she was taken into was familiar. It was where she had turned over her meager possessions to the state. "Name?" Bonnie gave her name and prisoner ID number. The small clear plastic bag was shoved through the little slot. There wasn't much in there. Her wallet with now expired driver's license. A key that went to her house her mother now resided in with her son.

The thought of her son made her cringe. He had only been one when she had been arrested. It was not his father that she had sought revenge against. His father was an unknown one night stand that she regretfully had too many times before she found a purpose. That purpose was to seek revenge against one Emily House. That revenge was still burning in her soul. Added to it was one Sara Kingston. Bonnie wasn't afraid to go against the senator's daughter. After all, he was long gone.

From what she could gather, the petite blond had left the political scene long behind her. That was what she gathered from what little news they were able to receive in the prison. Anything to do with Emily or with Sara had been blocked when it came to her account with the prison internet. That was the second thing she was going to have to do. She was going to have to do some digging to find out where the couple resided.

For now, she was ready to leave her palace of the past fifteen years. Roughly, she shoved her meager possessions in her pockets waiting to see what was expected of her next. She was led to the second holding area. The warden approached with a manila folder. "This is your release papers. Your lawyer has already signed them as have I. Just a warning, you get into any more trouble out in the real world and your time in here will be permanent."

Bonnie simply stared past the warden. The tall African American woman was formidable in a way. However, all that she had been put through in the past fifteen years had given her a harder edge than anyone in the prison. Even the ones that had killed repeatedly now had nothing on the petite dark haired woman. Seeing that she wasn't going to get a response, the warden nodded her head. The guard led her to the final barrier between the prison and freedom.

The tall sandy blond male took in his client. He had not been her lawyer at the original trial. He was one of those rich lawyers that on occasion took up what was considered to be an impossible case. In this case, he could understand very well what his client had gone through. Allen Idles had a past as well, one that could have kept him from gaining his license to practice law even after having passed the bar. It was sometimes good to be a lawyer and have connections.

"Bonnie." They had been on a first name basis for years. He held out his arm. Of course the petite woman rolled her eyes and began walking to the parking lot. The buzzers kept sounding as they met even more barriers before actually gaining all out freedom. "I found some things that you might just find interesting." That got an eyebrow raised. "First, let me get you to my hotel." The growl was fierce and Allen hastily continued. "I have a fresh set of clothes. Plus, you look like you could use a coffee."

The petite woman eyed the man. When her state appointed attorneys had given up on her appeals, she had as well. She had resigned herself to spend her time without any support. Her mother and son had turned their backs on her. And then this strange lawyer had contacted her. Still to this day she was unsure what he actually wanted or expected of her. All she knew was that she was grateful as he had continually put money into her prisoner's account.

"I could. If it's decent coffee. That swill they served was so watered down…" Bonnie let the thought die on her lips. It really didn't matter what life in prison had been like, not anymore. The only thing that mattered anymore was the fact that she was free. Free to go after the people that had wronged her so badly. "What I need more than a shower, some clean clothing and some coffee is the information you just dangled in front of me."

"Patience." Allen looked over and swallowed hard at the glare that he received. It was obvious that she was one hardened woman. She almost scared him more than his employers. Those were two women that scared him more than words could say. "After all, you are going to need time to get acclimated with society once again. And before you object, you have to have a job. You have to attempt to live by the rules of society, at least for a little while."

A deep growl escaped the diminutive woman. While she might be slight in stature, she was far from slight when it came to her anger or her ability to remember. Remember the flag draped metal coffin that held her husband's body. The fact that Emily had not shown up for his arrival or the fact that she had not shown up at his graveside until three months after he was laid to rest. Remember how it seemed so easy for the soldier to move on to find love with another.

Bonnie shoved all those thoughts out of her head as they finally pulled into the nearby hotel parking lot. To her surprise, the lawyer handed her a card key. She had not been expecting a separate room. In fact, she had thought that the man had assumed she would be giving different services as payment. While not totally opposed to such payments, she was tired of having to use her body as a form of currency. It was in silence that they entered their respective hotel rooms.

Almost an hour and a luxurious bubble bath later, Bonnie and her lawyer were having brunch in the hotel restaurant. The food tasted beyond compare. It had been so long since she'd had anything other than powered or runny eggs for breakfast. Those were good days as the oatmeal could be used as sealant. The orange juice was fresh squeezed and the coffee was actual coffee and not some imitation brew. The petite dark haired woman could not help but savor the tastes.

When they were just about done, Allen handed over a rather thick looking file. "I've been keeping up on your friends. They've actually been living quite the quiet life." He watched as his client continued to peruse the documents inside. Bonnie's eyes grew wide as she took everything in. "That's right. It's quite shocking." A sneer grew on the petite black haired woman's face. Revenge was just around the corner. Patience was the key.

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A scream caused the brown haired woman to jump out of her chair, knocking the book that she had been reading to the floor. The green eyes blinked attempting to remember exactly where she was. It came to her quickly as she took in the sterile smell and the whiteness of the walls. The woman made her way to the bed that was next to her. An almost identical face and eyes were staring back at her. There were differences now.

The once beautiful face had a scar across the cheek. There was part of the hair that had not grown back where a bullet had not only grazed the head but also taken a part of the skull and brain with it. The beautiful woman would not have the scars had she had private care. Instead, she had prison care. It still pissed off the woman that had no visible scars. Her scars were embedded deep within her. There was only one way to relieve those scars.

There were a couple things in the works. There was the fact that she had many operatives around the world. For the past fifteen years, she had been watching a certain petite blond. Though technically they were half-sisters, there was no way she would ever claim her as family. The only family she had left was the woman in the bed and the people that worked for her. Their father was gone, not that he was ever their father. Their mother had died in childbirth. That had left her uncle in charge, but he was dead now.

That had left the organization in turmoil. Regretfully it had caused her not to be able to get her sister out of the American prison. The fact that she was in a federal prison had hampered the release of her other half. "Jasmine." The woman in the bed whimpered but had not actually responded. "It's all right, Sweetie. Your big sister is here." Actually, she had no way of knowing who had been born first. It had been told to her that she had seemed dominate even as an infant.

Jaden Riaz stood watching over her sister. A hand reached out and gently stroked a cheek. It had been weeks since Jasmine had been coherent. The best doctors that money could buy assured her that it was only a temporary setback. Still, the pain and suffering that her sister was going through was not going to be soon forgotten. In fact, anyone that was involved was going to find themselves on the other end of one of her bullets.

"Sara!" It broke Jaden's heart whenever her sister called out the bitch's name. She wondered if Jasmine's mind had progressed back to an earlier time or if she was calling out in regret at not having finished what they had started. Either way, it was gut-wrenching. Finally, the scarred woman seemed to settle back into a deep sleep. There were a few twitches of the body as she lay there, but other than that appeared at peace.

"No worries." Jaden carefully laid herself next to the petite form of her sister. Jasmine, as usual, rolled over and put her arms around her sister. Some would say that their relationship had gotten to the point where they were too clingy. That could be true. However, when you were separated for the first twenty years of your life and then shortly after being reunited you were separated once again, you made up for those times of absences. "Jaden is here. She'll take care of everything, I promise."

The two young women fell asleep. If there had been a heart monitor attached to Jaden's it would have shown that their hearts were beating as one. They were breathing as one as well. They truly were the other half of the other. They were capable of so much by themselves. Putting them together was an extremely dangerous concept. Jaden smiled at the thought of what they would one day accomplish together, one of which being able to get revenge on Sara Kingston.

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It was a place that she had been several times now in her almost thirty five years of life. The sky was gray and overcast as winter was still trying to hang on with everything it had. The petite blond's short hair stuck out slightly beneath her knit cap as she made her way down the well-worn path. The grass was brown still yet there were little bits of green trying to make its way through to the surface. There were many tiny headstones that came into view.

The woman squatted down in front of a particular one. It was not quite the anniversary of the infant's death. However, Sara Kingston decided that she would stop by and pay her respects before moving to the other section of the cemetery. The child's section always depressed her, especially considering what had just taken place two weeks prior. The small hand traced the name 'Eric House'. "I would have loved to meet you. If you were anything like your sister…"

Sara's voice trailed off. It was an emotional time remembering how the death of the infant had affected her soulmate. It had divided a family for over twenty years, especially after the deaths of both of Emily's parents. But that was the past. This was the present. Paying her respects by tracing the name one more time, the petite blond carefully stood to her full height. Her lunch hour was waning and she still had more respects to pay.

The petite blond made her way through the cemetery. The tall 'House' stone marker was guiding her to the graves of two people she was here to see. It was the reason she was here. This time she knelt down between the two headstones. On one was carved 'General Nathan Adams'. He had passed away two years ago to the day. Resting beside him was his first wife, Martha. The General had found happiness again with his housekeeper, Jessica. Sadly, a year after his passing, she left the earth too. At least they had over ten years of happiness together.

"I always admired you two." Sara stood, leaving behind two sets of bouquets of flowers on each of the ladies' graves. "I would have you, Martha had I ever had the chance to meet you. The three of you took my Emily in and made her life bearable. For that, I will always love you and I will always respect you. I hope that you are all three finding happiness in the afterlife." She bowed her head a moment in silent prayer before moving on to the final purpose of her visit.

The tall marker that was dedicated to the 'House' family stood out like no others in the cemetery. This was another difficult one for the petite blond to face. She took in a deep breath and wished with her entire being she was that she could have her Emily's arms around her. A smile was on her face as the arms of her imagination squeezed her tight. She turned around in the arms. The smile grew as the blue eyes twinkled with so much love.

"You made it!" The squeal could not be helped that escaped from the petite blond. Without even thinking about it, she was closing the gap and their lips met in a torrid tongue wrestling match. "I thought they were going to need you all week? I mean, the weather is supposed to warm up and that usually means more tourist and…" Once again lips came crashing to hers. It was the best way to quiet the doctor from her ramblings.

Emily House pulled back as she took in her favorite person on Earth. She realized just how lucky that she was to have made it back. Nightmares plagued her of that day almost fifteen years ago. There were so many different ways she could have handled the kidnapping. And yet, things had worked out. Not for Jasmine and her family, but for Sara and the general. Not to be selfish, but that was the only thing that mattered to the raven haired park ranger.

"It's still a little early during the week to be busy. Maybe this weekend." Emily rotated her shoulder and her soulmate's hands were immediately tunneling inside her thick ranger coat attempting to massage the pain away. There had been so much damage to the socket that it was a miracle that she had not had to have her arm amputated. For it to give her trouble in cool wet weather, she'd put up with that for the rest of her life. "I appreciate the gesture, but we both know that's not going to help."

"I know." Emerald eyes were shining so brightly that the former soldier's breath caught. "I just like to have my hands on you as often as I can." That got a soft chuckle out of the raven haired woman. "I've already paid my respects to your brother, the general and his family. I was about to say hello to your parents." As they knelt down together in front of the matching headstones, Sara said, "I can remember the first time you introduced me. That was a rough day."

It had been when Emily was a soldier. She had been assigned to protect a young senator's daughter from e-mail threats. The actual ones behind the threats were shocking to everyone. The fallout was even worse. Things had gotten out of hand because of all the corruption surrounding Sara's father. They had been on the run, attempting to stay one step ahead of whoever was after the petite blond. They had traveled to the raven haired beauty's family.

That was the day that Emily had found out so many truths that had been hidden from her. The young soldier had been under the impression that her brother had disowned her solely because she was a lesbian. As it turned out, a family secret had been kept well hidden. The secret was that the raven haired woman had a twin brother that had died shortly after he had been born. For years it had been kept a secret.

Damion, Emily's older brother, had been ten at the time of the death of the ex-soldier's twin brother's death. He had seen the pain that it had caused his mother. In his young, undeveloped mind, he had thought that it was his sister's fault for the pain. Somehow, he had managed to keep that bundled up inside him as an adult going so far as to tell his daughter that her aunt had died. It had been cruel; luckily everyone had forgiven him for his stupidity.

"You know what?" Emily reached over and took a petite hand in her larger hand. The hand was chilled and she decided to wrap both of her hands around it. Of course there was something that grazed her skin and she smiled at another sweet memory. "The only thing that I truly remember about that day was us. Here in the cemetery. I had thought those words for so long. I had felt that way for so long. And yet, we had only been traveling for a few short weeks."

Sara nodded in understanding as the memory of that evening came flooding over her. Whoever thought that a cemetery could become a romantic place? Whoever thought that one would find the courage to say what was so deep in one's heart and yet be totally terrified to say aloud? "You know I still say that minute I saw you in the diner, it was love at first sight. Why do you think that I wanted our reception held there? Though I'm still not sure Charlene is over you."

That got a soft chuckle out of the raven haired woman. It was true. Charlene had been her first kiss and had almost been her first lover. At fifteen, she had not known any better. The summer spent mostly at the diner had been very educational. It had prepared her for the day when she met Sara. It had prepared her to open up her heart to love. Of course, that door had almost been closed permanently by tragic events. But seeing the sexy college student, not knowing she was the young woman she had been sent to protect, that had started the key turning in the locked heart.

"I don't think she'll ever be over the sight of us arriving on your motorcycle." That got another chuckle out of the former soldier. Sara couldn't help but join in. That had been one of the things that had first attracted her, on a physical level to Emily. There was this bad girl vibe about her. And when she had taken off on the motorcycle it had caused her to vibrate in places she only thought she knew. "Earth to Sara. You all right?"

It took a minute for Sara to recover from the imagery. "You just reminded me of what it was like when I first saw you on that motorcycle." She leaned over and put her head on the good strong shoulder of her soulmate. "Let's just say that I think we are going to need to practice tonight." Emily chuckled as she knew exactly what her everything was referring to. "By the way…" She pulled back so that she could see into the sapphire eyes. "I can take the test tomorrow."

Emily quickly pulled her wife up and into her arms. She held her like she had so many times, ignoring the severe pain that was in her shoulder. Most of the weight was on her good arm. "So, do you think it's going to be positive?" Reluctantly, the strain became too much for the park ranger. Slowly she slid her lover to the ground. Though she wanted to either rub her shoulder or at least move it to attempt to alleviate the pain, she refused to let it show.

"It is only our first attempt." Sara took Emily's good hand and gently pulled until they were walking back towards the vehicles. "You're coming back to the clinic with me." The woman dressed in the dark green uniform of a park ranger began to protest. "I'll allow you to drive yourself, but if you don't follow me back to work…" The blue eyes grew. There was only one way that sentence would end. And it meant that the raven haired woman was going to end up in the spare bedroom.

The spare bedroom, which was being converted into a nursery. So much had happened in the past fifteen years. They had put off having a child for various reasons. Now that both their windows to carry a child were coming to a close, both women had decided it was time to try. They were going with Sara because she was younger by three years. There was also the fact that, due to some injuries that Emily had sustained in the line of duty, her odds of carrying to term were highly unlikely.

There was always the other alternative. It was something that both had looked into and had not yet given up on. Either fostering or adopting a child had been fully discussed and something that they were not to give up on just because they were trying to have a baby of their own. It was something that was dear to Emily as she had lost both her parents by the time that she was twelve. She was lucky the general had taken her in as her brother still hated her at that point and time.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Sara laughed at the former soldier. To be cute, every so often Emily would bring that part of her out. It wasn't so much that she wanted to hide that part of her or forget; it was just so many painful memories. There was one that had just begun resurfacing that the raven haired woman had somehow blocked out of her memories. Ironically it had taken falling in love with the doctor for her to get past, not over, the memory of losing her first love.

The memories that Emily were having were almost too much for her to process. It had kept her up late for the past month. If Sara had noticed anything, she had not said anything. That was the beauty of living on a ranch. The park ranger had the excuse that she wanted to check on the horses, even in the middle of the night. They had brought the horses from the Kingston's mansion and setup a breeding program. There were also weekend riding for children.

The rest of the day went quickly if not quietly. Emily was subjected to more poking and prodding by her soulmate. It wasn't the kind of poking and prodding that she enjoyed but she knew that it meant that Sara truly loved her. Unless there was a breakthrough in medicine, there was no getting better for her shoulder. It was just one of those things and something that the former soldier had learned to accept. In some ways, she wished her doctor would too.

It was one of the few things that could start an argument between them. The other had been their wedding. Sara, though knowing how Emily had felt about wearing a dress, had insisted she wear a white dress. The petite blond had been both upset and had her breath taken away when the captain had waited for her at the end of the aisle in her full military dress. The former soldier had even put all her ribbons and medals on. That was rare as she hated the medals.

There had been too many soldiers that had not come back from the various missions that she had gone on throughout her military career. What little she had done was insignificant. Especially if the emerging images were what Emily thought they were. The images were frightening and she needed help to deal with them. As always, the raven haired woman was too strong and too proud to ask for help. It had taken orders from the general the last time. The only one that could order her now was her Sara.

They were almost home finally. Usually Sara was able to leave the clinic on a Monday by four as there was another doctor, several physician assistants and nurse practitioners that could handle the simple cases. However, a little boy had been rushed to the clinic with severe burns. The circumstances had been suspicious and reluctantly the petite blond had called the police. The paperwork and interviews had taken several hours.

It was past dark when they finally pulled into the ranch. Neither could get the image of the three year old boy out of their minds. Luckily, the burns could be and would be treatable. Another lucky thing, if one can call it lucky, was the fact that he was so young. It would help with the healing process both mentally and physically. It was days like this that Sara was glad that she had gone to Oxford Medical school while Emily had finished her commitment in the Army.

Had she gone to any other medical school, she most likely would not have been prepared to treat the young boy. Not without hours upon hours of interning in a burn ward unit. That was one thing she was glad of. The hospital in the States that she had done her interning with had of course had her rotating different areas. Sara was bright and picked on things up quickly. Though she had loved the hospital, her dream of helping those less fortunate that could not afford healthcare had won out.

"Why don't you go see what Cynthia left for us? I'm sure it's in the oven staying warm." Emily moved up behind her wife before she could get away. "And while you're doing that, I'm going to run a nice hot bath. For two?" Like she even had to ask. Sara tilted her head back. The twinkling in the emerald eyes was enough of an answer. "I would grab a bottle of wine, but just in case." The taller woman patted the taut stomach of her lover.

"Don't get too excited." Sara managed to turn in the tight grasp of her soulmate. "I know better than anyone that it could take several tries before we actually have a little park ranger running around. He or she is going to be a handful no matter what." That got a soft chuckle out of the tall park ranger. It was silenced for a moment by a sweet kiss. "I hope you're not too tired." The petite blond winked before she turned to leave the room.

As always, Emily stood there dumbfounded just for a few moments. It took a moment for her to recover. As she made her way into their bedroom and then their bathroom, her mind was on a handful of things. One was how no woman had ever affected her like Sara did. Not even the woman she thought she had loved so deeply and whose death had impacted her young life so horribly. Another was how lucky she was to have what she had now.

So many forces had conspired to first bring them together and then to keep them apart. It was an odd thing really. After reading Sara's father's last letter to her written just before he took his own life, it was confirmed that bringing in Emily had actually been a calculated risk on his part. He had been under orders to either turn his daughter into a corrupt politician, something he knew she would never do, or get her far out of the picture. The park ranger wasn't sure if Henry Kingston had ever thought that the soldier and the college student would find love. She was sure that in his own sick and twisted way, he had gifted her with the greatest gift of all.

The other thing that was bothering her, and had for nearly fifteen years, was how quiet it was on the Columbian front. The details of what had happened were a little murky for the former soldier. From the reports, she had managed to shoot Jasmine. That was the only way that she had been captured and her twin sister had escaped. Why it was they were waiting for to seek revenge was making her skin crawl. Old feelings, ones from her soldier days, were beginning to eat at her gut.

Quickly, Emily shoved those aside. She also had to shove aside the sight of the young boy. A boy that was so terrified of both his parents that he had clung to the tall strong park ranger like his life had depended on it while her wife had tended his injuries. Little three year old Billy was clearly looking for someone to protect him. It was in both her and Sara's nature to protect people. It was something she wanted to discuss with her wife in depth.

The steam rising from the bubbly water brought Emily back to the present. It was amazing how her mind was still military, meaning that it was easy for her to compartmental things. Things that were important like the boy's condition and the possibility of taking him in remained in the forefront of her mind. Things that caused her mental anguish, such as the suddenly reoccurring nightmares, could be pushed farthest from her conscience mind. Something always near the surface was her military skills.

Right now those skills were needed for undercover work. These were going to be wet works in the best possible way. Emily blinked several times as she looked up at the sound of her lover walking into the bathroom. Already the petite blond had taken off her clothes and was approaching her in all her glory. The sight before her caused the former soldier to swallow a few times. The sweet voice tantalized her as it floated up to her ear. "You have entirely too many clothes on."

That managed to break the raven haired woman out of her stupor. The soft gentle touches of Sara as she slowly slid every article of clothing from her well-toned body also caused her to wake up. There were no more words said for a long time as hands began to roam over the other's naked body. Though it would cause her pain, Emily carefully picked up her lover. The protests that were immediately on the blond woman's lips were silenced by soft kisses.

Gently, Emily placed the petite form into the water. Slowly, she joined her lover. The tub was one of the few true luxuries that they had agreed upon when they had built the ranch. While not wanting to rough it exactly, they also wanted to not be pampered like how Sara had grown up. In the raven haired woman's mind, she had grown up quite nicely. Still, they wanted their children to know the best of both worlds. That meant they would have technology and some luxuries but mostly they would learn to live simply.

"I've been looking forward to this all day long." Sara was instantly straddling her taller lover. With their busy schedules, sometimes they were too tired to indulge in one another's bodies. They made the most of it when they had a chance. Tonight, as if to celebrate the good news the morning could bring, they were going to make love. And they were going to take their time in doing so. "I fall in love with you more each day, Emily Madison House."

The raven haired woman was already cupping her lover's bubble covered breasts, grinding softly the palms of her hands against the awakening rosebuds. "Every time I think I can't possibly love you more, I just look into those emerald eyes and I know." Sara leaned down to capture the lips, moaning into the mouth of the park ranger as the ministrations of her breasts became more insistent. "I know that I'm where I belong and that our love is timeless."

Not caring about the bubbles, Emily leaned forward and took one perky breast into her mouth while continuing massaging the other. Involuntarily, Sara's head was flung backwards enjoying the feel of her lover's touch upon her skin. One smaller hand was firmly entrenched in strands of raven hair while the other was stroking every bit of exposed skin that she could find. The petite blond found herself already grinding her pulsating womanhood into the taut stomach.

That was one thing about the two. They could take their time and make love for hours or they could just give each other instant pleasure. Either way, it was with love and reverence. They had never just had sex. The first time they had almost made love, Emily had stopped the petite blond. The sweet soldier had said it was because they could easily give into lust and have sex. What she wanted for their first time was to take things slow and truly make love.

From that day on, they had made good on that vow. So even if they were limited on time, they still managed to make the caresses gentle. They made sure that all the love they felt for the other shown through. It was not always easy keeping their libidos from taking over. The two knew that the gentleness and the reverence they had for each other was special. They were not about to give that up for anything.

Emily was taking her time suckling first on one breast and then the other. Finally a petite hand made its way to her breast. Now she was the one that was leaning back allowing Sara to take the lead for just a little bit. That meant that butterfly kisses were planted along her neck and collarbone as two hands kept a steady massaging of her firm round breasts going. The raven haired woman sighed. While she knew that they both needed the ultimate release, she felt content at that moment.

Content in knowing that there was only one thing missing from their lives and that was soon to be rectified one way or another. Her hands made their way to the cute buttocks of the petite blond and squeezed gently. Even after all these years, they were both in excellent shape. Taking care of the horses and going for runs together saw to that. Emily was grateful for that fact though she knew that she would love to make love to her wife no matter what she looked like.

The beeping sounding caused the former soldier to growl. It caused the petite blond to laugh. Sara's lips hovered over her lover's lips as she spoke. "Even if it's an emergency, it can wait for just a few more minutes. I'm not done with you yet." Emily swallowed at the tone of voice. This was the sultry part of her wife that came out to play. And when it did, the park ranger felt that she was the luckiest woman in the world. "Just going to have to be a little quicker than I planned."

A sigh escaped the park ranger. They were getting to be intimate. That was all that mattered. It had been too long as she had pulled the weekend shifts at the national park, not she was going to complain. It only happened once a month the way they rotated the schedule normally. And she certainly wasn't going to complain when she felt one hand take hers and lead it to the promise land while the other petite hand found purchase on the raven haired woman's treasure.

They stared into one another's eyes the entire time that they at first filled one another completely. A little teasing of the throbbing clit before getting down to finally pushing the other over the edge. Emily loved to watch the green eyes as they first showed desire, then pleasure and then finally took her own soul with her as they found a paradise that only two lovers that were soulmates can truly find. Sara collapsed against her taller lover, energy completely spent.

It was ten minutes later, the bubbles having given way and the water cooled, before either woman could gather enough strength to attempt to stand up. Both were a little weak in the legs and steadied one another as they got out of the tub. "You go find out what that damned beeper wanted of you while I clean up in here." Sara leaned up and kissed her lover on the lips. "I know, you don't deserve me." Emily got a towel snapped at her bare bottom. "Hey!"

Emily snapped her own towel, missing on purpose. The giggles coming from the doctor melted her heart. The park ranger quickly had the tub draining and was cleaning up the water that had sloshed onto the floor from their amorous time when she heard a gasp. That part of her that simply wouldn't die came into full alert as any good soldier would do. The tall woman ran out of the bathroom in all her glory and came up to a visibly shaking petite blond.

Sara had her towel on and Emily couldn't understand why she was so upset. That was when she noticed that the laptop was on. The former soldier looked over her lover's shoulder. "Son of a bitch!" There it was; a picture from the petite blond's nineteenth birthday party, the one in the skimpy yellow polka dot bikini. It was one that had been sent to the soldier's phone and had been altered by cuts and bruises on the beautiful young body. It was obviously a threat. The park ranger cursed again. There was no way of her protecting her wife this time, at least not by herself or could she?

Her ties to the military had been burned, for the most part, when she had decided not to reenlist after her original six year commitment. There was one man, but he was not active and could only help with the intelligence part of it. Still, she was not ready to go to the police just yet. Instead, Emily took Sara into her arms. She felt the shivering as she slammed the laptop shut. In the morning, she would make a phone call. In the morning, she would make sure her weapons were at the ready, like they wouldn't be.

In the morning, she was supposed to be excited. In the morning they both were to be excited as they were supposed to find out if they were going to have a child together. Now, in the morning was Emily's time to transform from park ranger into soldier once again. Already, Sara could feel the transformation in the way that her wife held her. Already she was torn whether it was a good thing or not. The last time that she had seen her soulmate as a soldier, she had almost lost her for good.


	2. Chapter 2

Waking up in a soft bed without the noises of a hundred other woman was a jolt to her reality. Bonnie was sweating profusely as she shot up in bed. It took a moment for her to gather that she was in the hotel room that her lawyer had provided for her. A smile was upon the raven haired woman's face at her situation. The smile faded as the thought of her son entered her mind. Quickly she pushed him and her mother out of her mind.

Instead she took a leisurely shower, once again grateful for the fact that no eyes were prying. What had been worse, the other inmates or the guards, she could not decide. Either way, it was nice to have the privacy. Bonnie wiped the steam away from the mirror. Once again, she took in her body and how fifteen years in prison had been cruel to it. Not as cruel as she was going to be when she got her hands on both Emily and Sara.

Of course, if she did nothing, there was a chance at least Emily would be punished. That would be pleasant. It wasn't what she waited fifteen years for. Longer than that as her husband had been gone for almost seventeen years. That was how long she had wanted to complete her revenge against the ex-soldier. The woman seemed to be like a cat. There had to be one day when one of her nine lives simply ran out on her.

The angry woman attempted to push that aside. She knew soon she would have to meet with Mr. Idles. There was something too convenient about all of his help, especially when she could not afford a lawyer of his caliber. It would behoove her to tread lightly, she knew. Quickly she dressed in clothes that were not prison orange once again. She was hoping she would quickly get used to that fact. No more orange ever in her life.

Glancing at the clock, she knew that she was running late. For some reason she really didn't care this morning. She slipped on the heavy winter coat. Sunglasses made their way on to her face before she opened the door. The snow had come overnight. It was just a light dusting. It was fresh. It was new. It was something that she had not experienced in a very long time as their yard time was limited during the winter while she was in prison.

Bonnie softly knocked on the door next to her. It was only a matter of moments later when Allen opened the door. The petite raven haired woman looked the man up and down. From his long woolen black coat to the sunglasses on his face, the man screamed million dollar lawyer. The briefcase in his hand, which was made of Italian leather, helped to confirm the fact. He simply nodded at the woman as he pulled out a cell phone from his pocket.

An extremely brief conversation took place. One that was in a language Bonnie had never come across before. As a former high school teacher, it was a rarity she would come across something she was not aware of. While in college, she had studied many languages. Of course she had never gotten to put any of them to use as she had married young. Then her husband's youthful life had been cut short. She growled internally as she had vowed to stop thinking of the man's death.

"Time to start your new life." That got a dark eyebrow raised in the lawyer's direction. He laughed at the look on her face. "First I'll take you to your apartment. Then we'll stop by your new job." Bonnie remained silent. She hated it when others took charge of her life. Without Allen in her life, she may just be stuck in prison. One thing was certain, she would not have a place to call her own and she would not have the required job without his help.

The brunette watched as the large city that housed the prison flew by. It wasn't long before they were on the highway. She wondered where it was the man was taking her. "Oh, I almost forgot." The man reached behind her seat and produced a bag. "Not the breakfast of champions but I assumed you wanted to get to where we are going. Have a muffin. If you want juice or coffee, we can stop somewhere. Just let me know."

Bonnie took the bag from him. While it was true that it wasn't the breakfast of champions, after one bite it was the greatest breakfast that she had had in quite some time. Yesterday was more of a brunch than it was a true breakfast. The only thing missing was coffee. For now, she would snack on the muffins and watch the scenery as it flashed by. While having grown up in the state, this was very unfamiliar to the young woman.

Several muffins, a couple of stops for coffee and bathroom breaks later the pair were finally pulling into the small town at the outside of the National Forest. They pulled into a parking lot that was lined on either side by buildings that practically looked identical. It was obviously one of those mass produced places. Even if it looked like every other place, somehow Bonnie found her heart lightening just a bit.

"The apartment is fully furnished." The lawyer got out of his fancy car waiting for Bonnie to join him. "I've taken the liberty of stocking your closets and dressers as well. I think you'll find I have excellent taste." The brunette snorted. There was something telling her that the man could have been on 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' but she didn't care. At one time she would have said that love was love. If her heart was not so broken, she still would.

They walked in silence the short distance. What she thought was an apartment building was actually a condominium. She and her husband never could have afforded anything like this. Bonnie held her tongue waiting to see what the inside looked like before saying anything. If the outside had shocked her, the inside almost made her pass out. There was a huge fireplace. There was every electronic device one could ever imagine in the living room.

The furniture in the living room was all plush and she thought made of leather. The carpeting was thick. As they made their way into the dining area, there was a huge glass table. Another television was there that had to be at least sixty inches. The kitchen was a modern marvel. There was an espresso machine and everything. Still she held her tongue as they made their way upstairs. The master bedroom had a walk-in closet the size of her motel room. More electronic gadgets were everywhere.

Bonnie stopped in her tracks and crossed her arms over her chest. "No offense, but how the hell am I supposed to be able to afford a place like this?" Her brown eyes took in the bedroom again. There was a king size canopy bed that had the fluffiest comforter the woman had ever seen. "I'm just out of prison. Most ex-cons only get minimum wage jobs. So I think we need to have a chat. I'm not going back to prison because of whoever my benefactor is."

Allen laughed. "I know that you have had a lot of time to think things through. But you don't have all the facts, my dear." The lawyer made his way to the comfy bed, setting his briefcase on it. "I know I haven't been forthcoming with a lot of details." He pulled out several sets of papers. "Unfortunately, that's how our bosses want it at the moment. I'm afraid I only know what they want me to know. Makes planning a little difficult. Luckily, I'm light on my feet."

The ex-con chose to ignore the last comment that was just ripe for making fun of the lawyer. Something was telling her that while it all sounded good; there was a lot of danger involved. Bonnie sighed heavily and took the papers out of the lawyer's hand. Quickly she skimmed through them. "So, I'm using the corporate condo. I'm what? A secretary? What the hell is it that I do and who am I working for?" The brunette had just about reached the end of her patience.

"Why don't I answer that." A deep female voice that was thick with accent startled the ex-con. Bonnie whirled around to see that there was a very beautiful tanned skinned dark brown haired woman on the television. "You do what we tell you. You accepted our lawyer. You accepted our money while in prison. You are going to accept the position that we've made for you. All you need to know is that we share the same agenda."

Bonnie cautiously approached the large screen television. She knew that she could not touch the woman but something told her to get as close as possible. "I never asked for Mr. Idles here. I never asked for the money. True, I never turned either away. What was I supposed to think? I was sitting in prison, sure that I was never going to get out. Every time I was up for parole, something happened to keep me in longer. So why should I just lie down and play dead for you?"

The raven haired woman on the screen barely even flinched. Before Bonnie could react, Allen had a gun at her temple. He had his cell phone pulled out again. The phone was shown to the petite woman. On the screen was a picture of her house. The one that her mother and son resided in without her. Her brown eyes grew wide as she was beginning to comprehend just what she had sadly gotten herself into. "One word from me, you watch as your son and mother are blown up. Then…"

There was the cocking of the gun. It caused the hardened woman to swallow. While she had faced a lot of things in prison, a gun to her temple wasn't among them. A very real threat to her son and mother were another thing she never thought she would be facing. Slowly it was dawning on Bonnie that she had walked out of one prison and into another. She remembered one statement and wanted clarification. "I understand. I only have one question. You said we share the same agenda."

The woman on the screen laughed heartily. "My name is Jaden. You won't know it. You may have heard of my twin sister, Jasmine." That got two dark eyebrows hiked to the hairline of Bonnie. She knew very well who Jasmine was. Before she had been incarcerated, she had read in the paper that Sara's half-sister had been shot. No details on what happened as there was a major cover up. "I thought you might. I want revenge on both Emily House and Sara Kingston."

Now it was all coming together in the brunette's mind. The information that had been gathered on Emily. The way she had been taken care of while in prison. Now getting a very luxurious place to live and a job that any monkey could perform. It was all so that she could be in place to exact revenge. "We have a lot in common." Bonnie bowed her head. "I'm your bitch. You tell me what you want, I'll do it. Even if that means you want me to take my own life."

Jaden laughed heartily. "That shouldn't be necessary with what we have planned." There was a lengthy pause. "However, anyone in my employ could easily give their lives in the blink of an eye. Casualties. Casualties of war happen in various ways. Emily knows this. You know this. It's time that Sara learns this lessen as well." With that, the screen went blank. Bonnie shivered. She realized once again that she had just stepped into the depths of hell.

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Ellen Kingston was in back of a dark car with dark tinted windows. She was having her driver take her by some place she had not been in almost fifteen years. "Stop here." They were blocking the driveway but the petite blond didn't care. It wasn't going to take long. All she wanted was to see where it had all started and where it had all ended. The house and grounds, from what she could see, looked exactly the same.

"Take me home." Home for the petite blond was a small apartment. It was a two bedroom flat really. There wasn't much to it. It served her purposes and had for the last ten years. Before that, she had lived in her family home. Something never felt right staying there. Perhaps it was the fact that she knew her parents would not be happy with the way her life had turned out. It wasn't the fact that she had had an affair with a woman for two decades only to end it when they could openly be together.

That was not why her parents would be so disappointed in her. It was because of how she had raised her daughter. If it weren't for the woman she'd had an affair with, Sara would not be the amazing woman that she was today. Ellen was realistic. She knew that she and her husband had little to nothing to do with the goodness inside her daughter. Neither were the greatest of people. It had taken a woman with a special heart to raise an amazing woman.

Emerald eyes closed at the thought of Cynthia. There wasn't a day that went by that the petite blond didn't regret her decision. In fact, Ellen had kept every letter that her former lover had written to her after the events that changed everyone's lives so dramatically. Almost every single day for nearly a year, the former cook had written to her. What had kept her from taking that risk was a question that haunted her still.

"Take me to the ranch." Ellen could see the stiffening of the driver. Derrick had been Sara's driver while she was growing up. Even after the younger Kingston had gotten her driver's license, the man had continued to drive for her. He had, in some ways, become an older brother. The matriarch knew that her driver had been to the ranch several times on his days off. She knew that he kept in touch with her daughter even going to her wedding to which sadly she was never invited.

Derrick only hesitated for a moment. He adjusted the hat and the sunglasses on his head before heading towards the highway. It was another hour to where his little Sara now lived with her lovely wife. It had been a couple months since he had taken the time to see her. Last he knew, they were both just living their lives. They were almost happy and content with one exception. It saddened him to think his employer may never know her grandchildren.

Ellen glanced out the darkened windows at the beautiful countryside. She hadn't taken the time to really appreciate where she lived, not since her parents had passed away. Once she had become involved with Henry, her life changed drastically. It was like she became another person. The power and money that he provided were intoxicating. She was so young at the time. It was hard to remember when exactly she lost herself.

A day flashed in her mind. It was a day before Sara had been born. Henry had just been elected to his first term as senator. Things were moving up and fast. Her husband had wanted to make sure that everything showed the newly acquired status that came with his new position. There she was standing larger than life with her chestnut hair and hazel eyes. In that instant, her heart was gone. It all happened so fast.

Green eyes blinked several times, the pain the memory caused almost too much. If she were honest with herself, it wasn't the memory. It was what she had done to the woman she claimed to love so much. Claimed the only reason that they were not together was because her of her marriage. It turned out that wasn't true. It turned out that Ellen was one of the biggest liars and users that had ever lived, maybe even more so than Henry.

The quiet car ride was finally over as they pulled up to the driveway of the ranch. Over the gravel driveway was an arch. Hanging from the arch was a sign that said 'The Kingston-House Ranch'. Ellen blinked a couple of times. Again, pain was eating at her heart as she looked upon a sign that she had only seen in pictures. The middle aged woman had never had the courage to come here, until now. "Drive to the house."

Once again, there was a shifting of the driver. Ellen knew that Derrick was wondering what was going on. After all, his employer had never asked him to drive here. She certainly had never asked him to drive all the way to the house. It was a long and winding driveway that finally opened to a clearing that held a beautiful brick ranch house, a stable and a barn. The petite blond had never seen this. Not even in pictures had she seen the place her daughter now called home.

There was a side door that led into a large penned in area. Ellen wondered if they had dogs as well as the horses. When Cynthia had written, it was about her. Most likely it had been Sara that had asked things remain confidential as far as she and Emily were concerned. Not that the elder Kingston could blame her. It had taken years for the press to leave the couple alone. Every once in a while, a picture of the raven haired woman and the younger petite blond would appear in the newspaper or on the internet.

Ellen had to steel herself before she could force herself to exit the vehicle. Why she was doing this of all days, she had no idea. Why the trip down memory lane at the home she had shared with Henry? Why now after almost fifteen years was she forcing herself to confront the one that she pushed away? The petite blond opened the door. In an instant, there was a pack of dogs barking at her. The dogs ranged from small to large. There were about a dozen of them.

The petite blond warily made her way past the chain link fence that housed the puppies. None of them threw themselves at the fence. In fact, it appeared that most of them wanted her to pet them. Never having any pets growing up and none while Sara was a child, Ellen was less than enthusiastic about attempting to say hello. She kept one eye on them as she made her way to what she assumed was the front door.

Before she could knock, the door opened. A very tall man wearing a heavy winter coat and a tan cowboy hat walked out. "Pardon me, Ma'am." The man held the door open for her. She turned around to watch where he went. There were three pickup trucks she had not seen from the other angle. There were four other men and a small woman already in what looked like a workout area. It shouldn't have surprised her that the ranch needed helpers.

"It's cold out. Jacob, can't you even…" Cynthia's words trailed of instantly when she saw who was standing with the front door open. Not wanting to be rude yet not wanting the woman in the house when neither Emily nor Sara were home, the taller woman was torn. Her manners got the better of her. "Please, come in. Have a seat anywhere. I was just making another pot of coffee. Would you like some?"

The iciness of the tone of her former lover's voice was not lost on Ellen. Had she only responded to one of the letters. Had she only not waited almost fifteen years to show up out of the blue. The petite blond sighed heavily, wiping her feet before she took several steps in if only to shut the door. "I really can't stay." Her eyes could not meet the intensity of the stare. "In fact, I'm not sure why I'm here. I went by the old mansion. I had told Derrick to take me home. Then I heard myself telling him to take me here."

There was silence between them. It went beyond awkward. It was the kind that meant that one, if not both people wanted nothing more than to be anywhere else. Both were civilized women, still it was hard for both of them to stay there. "I see." Cynthia crossed her arms over her chest. Her only thoughts were going out to Sara and Emily who didn't need this. They had told her of the threat. They had shared the other sad news as well. "The girls aren't going to be home until at least six."

"I guess that answers my question." Ellen was halfway to the door before turning to face her former lover one last time. "I don't know why I never wrote back. I don't know what made me leave you without answers. Maybe I'm, even after all this time, seeking those same answers." The petite blond's hand was on the doorknob. "I did love you." She swallowed hard. "I still am in love with you." Never turning around, fear of what she would see, the matriarch said one more thing. "Tell Emily and Sara I'm sorry. Sorry I was never there for them. Sorry that I missed their wedding. Maybe…"

Ellen trailed off. Part of her thought that she had said too much already. Part of her thought that she had said too little. Either way, she wasn't going to leave it to them. As she closed the door, she made a vow to herself. It was one that she knew she should have made fifteen years ago. In fact, it was a vow that should have been made almost thirty four years ago. One way or another, she was going to get the woman she loved back and finally do right by her daughter, no daughters.

Cynthia watched as the door closed. She managed to slump into one of the fluffy recliners before her legs gave out on her. Something was reminding her of fifteen years ago. It seemed like the oddest thing but everything emerged at one time so many years ago. It was happening now. Emily and Sara attempting to have a family, the threats beginning and now Ellen was attempting to come back into their lives. She wondered for a brief moment if it wasn't winter but actually hell freezing over.

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An emotional night had led to an emotional morning for Sara. The doctor had taken the home pregnancy test. Though not a hundred percent accurate, it had been negative. Of course, it was their first attempt. It was rare, no matter how healthy and fertile one was, to conceive on the first attempt. Still, she and Emily were now even more in a funk than before. This was something that could easily be remedied down the road either by more attempts or by adoption.

The shock of last night, there were very few solutions. Had Emily still been an active soldier, the options would be less limited. Had the general still been alive, the options would have been less limited as well. Sara had listened as her ex-soldier had gone through a list of her contacts. Some were former military. Some were from various agencies. Wherever they were to get help, it had to be someone that had connections.

Dealing with the Columbians the first time had been terrifying enough. While there was no direct link to her sisters, to Sara and to her former solider there was no doubt who was behind this. There were other possibilities. Bonnie McStevens came to mind. She was up for parole shortly. There was also Edward Watkins. After sifting through everything, Emily had discovered that some of the threatening e-mails had been from the Englishman that the petite blond had attended Oxford with.

The first two threats were the ones that were bothering the doctor. Of course her half-sisters bothered her the most. They had bought a United States senator. How far up the chain of command could they and would they go to get what they wanted? Sara sighed deeply as she went over her next patient's chart. Her mind was not where it should be. It was understandable, but her patients normally got her undivided attention.

At least until today they had. Sara stretched. Part of her wanted to call her soldier. Though Emily was now a park ranger, there was the devilish side to the petite blond that loved to think of her as that strong hero that came blazing in and rescuing her. It had nearly cost the raven haired beauty her life. But she would expect no less of the woman she loved and the woman that loved her. The image of the blood running down her shoulder and chest…

Sara quickly cleared her head of such images. Nightmares still kept her awake, seeing Emily on her knees reaching out for her. The blood covered chest causing her to scream out her lover's name. Cradling the head and watching as the bloodshot eyes closed. Fear that it was the last time that she would ever see those eyes vibrantly alive had overcome her. Though the general needed help, the petite blond was of no use. All she could do is cradle the head in her lap and place gentle kisses on her lips.

The EMTs had to forcefully remove her grip from her soldier. Deep down, she had known that Emily had needed their help. It was the fear deep down inside that she would never see, hear or kiss the woman she loved again that kept her clinging so. No one said a word as she and a military escort rode along in the ambulance. No one said anything as she stood at the entrance to the emergency room and waited for word. Any word on how her soulmate was doing.

Though she had planned what she wanted to do with her life during the drive to California, waiting like she had for her Emily had cemented her decision. While an education was extremely important, Sara had decided to follow her heart and maybe be able to do what those emergency room doctors had done for her soldier. If she only saved one life, if she only made one life more bearable to live than it was all worth her hours of studying. It was worth everything to her as she still had her everything in her life.

Sara once again had to shake her head and bring it to the present. There were patients to see. There was a threat to fight against. Right now, she knew that Emily was better equipped to deal with the latter. Her Special Forces training would never leave her. She just hoped that her park ranger would not keep anything from her, to protect her. Last time, she had been under orders and in fact had broken them so that she could be honest with her.

The fact that Emily had gone against orders had proven how much in love she was. Of course at the time, all that Sara had seen and heard was the lies and the danger. In a way, it had brought them closer together. Their travel across the United States had been simply amazing. The only thing that the doctor would changes would be that her solider and the general had been so badly hurt. But those were the risks when you were in a fight for your life.

The petite blond laughed to herself at the sad trip down memory lane as she finally made it to the examination room. She knocked softly and entered. There was a small sandy blond boy whose hair was curly. He looked familiar but the name was not. When the boy launched himself at her, she looked up at the woman that was standing next to the examination table. The previous day came flashing back. This was the little boy whom she had treated with Emily's help.

Sara nodded at the tall woman. The two had met over some other suspected cases of child abuse. Her name was Dorothy Winters and she was a social worker. "Hello, Steven." The boy looked up from his tight grip upon on her knees. "I'm sorry, Stevie. It's time to look at your bandages. Have you been good and left them alone?" The sandy head merely nodded. As careful as she could, the doctor extricated herself from the boy's grip and carried him to the examination table. "Ms. Winters."

The tall woman nearly nodded. Sara remembered that the woman always seemed to be silent. That was fine. As long as she told her everything that she needed to know to treat her patients. "So, Little Man…" The young boy giggled at her nickname. "Has any of your owies been hurting since last night?" His face turned sour. He simply lifted his hand. The doctor had been afraid of that. Stevie's left hand had been burnt the worst, probably because he had held it up in self-defense in front of his face.

"All right, tell you what. I'm going to get a nurse to help me." The young boy raised his one hand attempting to make it so that it was higher than the petite blond's head. Having dealt with children affected with trauma, Sara was certain she knew the answer. "I'm sorry, Little Man. Emily has to be at her job today. But she did tell me if I saw you to say hi. She thinks that you are a very brave little boy and that she misses you."

The words were not lies. Just before Sara had taken the pregnancy test, her wife had talked about the little boy. As a soldier, Emily had seen similar things. Of course hers were because of bombings and the close fighting causing fires. The innocents were always the ones that got hurt when there was needless fighting. It was another reason that the soldier had decided not to extend her time in the Army. Too much pain filled her soul, enough pain that several lifetimes may never be able to heal it completely.

The smile that radiated from the boy warmed Sara's heart. She picked up a phone and spoke into it. The doctor was already unwrapping the bandages from the child's left hand when the nurse came in. Without a word, the nurse got the necessary materials needed to cleanse and rewrap the burns. When she took in the wild fear in Stevie's eyes, the petite blond quickly launched into a story. It was the children's favorite story.

It was a tale of romance, adventure and of course fighting. It was the fighting that always got the boys' attention. Stevie was no different. His soulful brown eyes weren't watching her skilled fingers. Instead, the boy was watching the expressive face of the doctor. At the moment, to the three year old she seemed more like a storyteller. Just as she finished changing the last of the bandages, she also finished the story.

Sara ruffled the boy's sandy blond hair. It felt soft and she smiled in spite of everything happening around her. This boy was already finding a place in her heart. It was a dangerous time for her to be thinking about adopting a child. It was dangerous to just be thinking about fostering him, at least until they could be sure who was behind the threats. Yet, one look into those brown eyes and she was lost. "So, I think someone has been good enough to get a prize."

Brown eyes lit up. _You are so gone, doctor. I think Emily and I are going to have to have a long talk. Not just about these threats, but about this little boy as well._ "Why don't you go with Liz? She knows where all the best prizes are hidden." The nurse held out a hand. The boy hesitated. "Ms. Winters and I will be out in just a few minutes. I have to talk about boring stuff with her." One more look up into green eyes before the boy reluctantly took the outstretched hand. The boy released the hand briefly to throw himself at the doctor, one of his heroes before finally allowing himself to be led from the room.

The doctor sighed heavily. When the social worker began to speak, Sara held up her hands. "He's going to be fine. If it had been any worse, he would have had been in the burn unit awaiting skin grafts. In that regard, he's lucky. The fact that his father getting so drunk he hadn't realized he'd spilled his beer and then lit his cigarette so near his child was extremely unlucky." The petite blond rubbed her aching temple for a moment. "I've read his case chart as well as his medical chart."

"He's been through a lot in his three years of life. His birthday was a week ago. His mom managed to bake a cake for him." Ms. Winters looked away from the doctor. "Of course his father managed to throw it against the kitchen wall because his mom had allowed the beer to run out." Both women sighed at the same time. It really didn't matter whether it was a small town or huge metropolis, horrible things happened everywhere.

"I see." The last little tidbit had not been in the chart. That wasn't unusual. Unfortunately with some cases, there were almost too many details to put in them. Once again, Sara found herself wanting to call Emily. This time it was different. Though they'd spoken briefly that morning specifically about Stevie, they had not come to any conclusions. There were the other chats about fostering or adoption which remained unresolved as well. "I assume he's permanently been removed." A sad nod was her answer.

Either Emily would be mad at her or love her more for what she was about to say. In her mind, Sara knew that her soldier would love her more. After fifteen years together, fourteen of which they were married for, she should know how her wife was going to react. "I have to talk more with Emily, but we've been discussing fostering." Both rose eyebrows on the social worker. "I know his case. I know the damage to his psyche. I have spent time in the psychiatric wing of a hospital. I'm not a professional psychiatrist but I do know how the traumas of life can affect the mind."

A truer statement had never been spoken. The nightmares continued today. At least now they were less frequent. And the only time that she really had the nightmares was when she woke up and Emily was not in bed with her. Though so much was going on, Sara made a mental note to talk to her wife about what was going on with her. Her soldier had seen and done so much in her short enlistment in the Army it caused the petite blond to visibly shudder.

"You both will have to go through an extensive background check." Ms. Winters already had her notepad out. "There will have to be visits to your home." The list seemed to go on and on. Sara knew it was for the protection of the child. "We'll have to see if the boy wants to stay with you." Another scribbling on the notepad before the social worker managed to look the doctor in the eyes. "You both work. Is there someone…?"

"Right now we have a cook. She helps take care of the house. There are six ranch hands, not always are they there. Cynthia helped to raise me. She's getting older at seventy one, but she's still in great shape." Sara thought about it. They could easily afford it, if it should become a necessity. "If she can't handle Steven by herself, we can hire a full-time nanny." Her mind drifted for a moment. "There is the possibility that Emily would even consider staying home full-time."

The news seemed to surprise the social worker. It wasn't something they talked about a lot. While Emily loved her current profession, there was a part of her that would love to stay home and take care of the ranch and children once they had any. Sara of course was a little jealous yet at the same time knew that the need for her services as a healthcare provider to those that couldn't otherwise afford it was extremely important. "Just start the background check. Everything else we'll make fall into place."

Ms. Winters nodded her head in silent agreement. At that moment, Stevie burst back into the examination room. He was holding his prize. It was a stuffed puppy. Sara smiled at his choice. "You got the puppy that I chose especially for a very good boy or girl. I'm glad." Once again, the doctor found small arms wrapped around her legs. Gently, she pried the boys grip away from her so that she could kneel before him. The hug resumed with the boy's bandage wrapped arms around her neck.

_Emily, I hope I'm not judging you wrong. I know the timing is not that good. But this boy needs love. I'll do anything to make him happy. Of course I'll do anything to make you happy too._ Sara felt the tears welling up in her eyes. It was not out of fear of what her wife would say. It was not because of the boy's injuries. It was because she was already loath to let the boy go. Even if it was only for a night or two, she now wanted the boy as her own.

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Emily was supposed to have gone to work. Instead, she was making the long drive to Washington, DC. Why? Because that's where all the power was. Most of the time the power was corrupt. Most of the time it was unreliable. Right now her everything was being threatened once again. It meant that she was going to have to play dirty. It wasn't something she wanted to do or looked forward to. It was something that she had done in the past.

The previous night, the dream had finally become clear. It happened before she had met Alicia, her captain and first love. In fact, it had happened right after she had gone through her training as a Special Forces operative. Her first assignment had seemed simple enough. She and her team were to go in and rescue a bunch of children that were trapped in their school. It was one of those missions that were never on the books. Her younger self hadn't known that at the time.

In fact, to this day, there was no official record of the mission. That's because the real mission wasn't the children. It was simply to destroy the base of operation of their latest enemy. Only her captain had known that. If Emily had known all the facts, maybe what happened never would have happened. No matter, it had happened. Going around that corner and seeing those guns pointed at her. The training in her kicked in and she began to shoot.

The small body moved at the last moment. By then, it was too late. Emily had shot the ten year old girl right in the head. Why the girl had moved, the soldier never understood. Why the soldier had actually moved so that the girl took the bullet, she understood in a sick and twisted way. That was one of the few kills in her life that the park ranger never regretted. While she hated taking any life, anyone that would let a young girl take a bullet for him disgusted her.

The rest of that particular day was a blur. There had been an inquisition about what had happened. There were a lot questions. There was a lot of cover up in the end. As always, the public finding out that it was one of the Americans that had been the one to cause the civilian causality was never a good thing. The mental trauma of the day had been too much for Emily and she had ended up blocking it out, until now. Why it was all coming back to her now, she had no clue.

Emily shoved those thoughts from her head as she made her way to the meeting. While she had told Sara that all of her contacts had dried up, that was not true. Once you were in the Special Forces, you were in for life. One man, besides the general, had been loyal to her over the years. They had remained distant friends to anyone looking from the outside. It was safer for them both that way. With her past coming back to haunt her and now something from her wife's, she had no choice.

The soldier had been to Washington, DC and lived there for many years. Yet she had never been to where she was going. The Lincoln Memorial was always busy, no matter the time of year. Emily was dressed in nondescript clothing. No one would know she was a park ranger. More importantly, no one would know she was once an operative in the Army. The man that she was there to meet was dressed similar to the way that she was.

They barely even acknowledged one another. No one, unless they were trained such as they were would have seen the exchange of documents. Emily pretended to be studying a map. It was pamphlet of the area that hid the real papers she had been handed. Her eyes grew wide for two reasons. One, Bonnie was now free. Two, there was chatter from the Columbians. Not just any Columbians but of course it had to be her wife's half-sisters.

Emily cursed herself for letting her reaction show. Though it had been over a decade since she had needed her training, she had always thought that it would be a natural part of her. She made a decision. She was going to begin training herself. There were things that she had kept from Sara that she must now tell her about. The apartment that she had that they had stayed in that first night before they went to her brother's was still being rented by her.

It held all of her weapons and special computers. Every so often she would go there and make sure that everything was in working order. Every so often she would make sure that she had the most up to date equipment. There was a lot that they were going to have to sit down and talk about. The two operatives nodded their heads. Emily knew that it would take a day or two for her old friend to find out the information that she needed.

In the meantime, Emily needed to head to a couple of her old stomping grounds. One was the apartment. It was time that she retrieved her past and bring it home with her. The other was to see Charlene. Though she was not Sara's favorite person, there was one thing that the woman held onto that her wife had no idea about. Suddenly, the soldier felt about two feet tall as she realized just how much she had been keeping from her soulmate the past fifteen years.

The raven haired woman sent up a silent prayer. While her religious beliefs had been tested over the years with the things she had seen and done, she still believed in a higher power. She was turning to this higher power now to watch out for her Sara and to help the woman understand that everything she had done or hadn't done was to protect her. Just like that, Emily was transported back almost fifteen years ago to when she had made a decision that had forever changed her life. It had changed her life for the best. Hopefully her current decision wouldn't take everything away.


	3. Chapter 3

Damion House looked at the list in front of him. The first two names on the list caused him to smile. Fifteen years ago, neither name would have made the list let alone been the top two. It made him smile to think how far he had come over the years. It was amazing to think that when his sister reentered his life, he was still blaming her for many things. Things, as a young man, he could not understand and held onto until he reached adulthood.

"Daddy?" The sweet voice of his daughter floated through the room causing him to break out of his memories. Damion looked up as his daughter called to him. Their matching blue eyes met causing his smile to increase. "Is that my wedding guest list?" There was the gentle nod of her father's head in answer. "I was looking for it." The tall sandy blond young woman made her way to where her father sat. "I can't believe in a month I'll be married."

The dark haired man reached out and placed a hand on his daughter's. "I know. Seems like only yesterday I was bringing you home from the hospital." _It also only seemed like yesterday when I told you that your aunt was dead. I can't believe I did that._ Damion had been through some therapy to see what exactly he had put his family through. True it had hurt Emily. But telling his only daughter that her aunt was gone, that was beyond cruel.

"Dad!" The twenty four year old blushed profusely. Rose knew her father would always think of her like that. Usually it didn't bother her. Now that she was getting married, it became increasingly embarrassing. Luckily none of her friends or her fiancé was around. "So, have you heard from Aunt Emily or Aunt Sara?" The young woman remembered the first time she'd met the petite blond and the raven haired woman. Confusing was hardly the word she would use to describe her feelings.

That was a bit of a sore subject. The phone call he had received from his sister brought back memories. Memories of the time which brought his sister back into his life. It had brought danger. It had almost caused a wedge in his marriage. If he had lost his family, it would have been his own fault. Hearing that there were new threats and that the one who had burned down the local motel was now out on parole, it scared the hell out of him.

"Actually, that's something I need to talk to you about." Damion really did not want to have this conversation with his daughter. He hoped she would not think he was reverting to the old him, the one that had kept his sister from her niece. "Please, have a seat." Rose was skeptical. There were obvious questions she wanted to ask. "When I talked to your Aunt Emily, she told me something. It might mean she and Aunt Sara won't come to the wedding."

"What?" Rose's voice was sharper than she intended. Her young mind flashed back to the first barbecue her two aunts had attended. In her young mind she saw two women who she was not sure whether they were supposed to be together or not. Now as an adult, she saw two women still discovering their feelings for one another. She remembered how her father had treated them. She remembered how they had gone away so upset. It wasn't until she was older she had found out that her father had told her aunt of her uncle's untimely death.

Damion cringed. He could guess what she was thinking. While he regretted almost every way that he had handled his sister, one of the worst was how he informed her she had a twin brother who had died as an infant. Handing her the death certificate at that fateful barbecue so many years ago was not one of his proudest moments. "It's not what you think." He held his hands up in mock surrender. "It is like fifteen years ago, only I'm not the one telling her to stay away."

Rose felt herself relaxing just a tad. She had hated to think her father would ever revert to the man he was back then. It wasn't that he wasn't a kind, honorable and amazing man. It was just one part of him had stung when he was young man. He had never learned to accept things. In his mind, it was always about her aunt being a lesbian. That was just an excuse. "I see." But she really didn't see. She was confused as to what was really going on.

"No, you don't see." Damion swallowed hard. They had, for the most part, kept what had really been happening with his sister away from his impressionable young daughter. It wasn't that she was too young. He just hadn't wanted to scare her at the time. "There have been some threats against your Aunt Sara. It's just like…" He sighed not knowing how much his little girl knew or remembered about what had happened when Emily first reentered their lives.

"You mean someone is threatening Aunt Sara again?" Damion actually sputtered. Though the situation was quite serious, Rose found herself chuckling softly at her father's reaction. "Mom told me when I was twelve what happened. Not the details of course, but enough to know that Aunt Sara was threatened and the powers that be brought in Aunt Emily to protect her." The sandy blond's cheeks grew pink at the next thought. "That's how they met so they could ultimately fall in love."

"There was a little more to it." Damion stood up and began pacing. They had kept Rose away from any kind of media for the two months after Emily had been shot and come close to death. The raven haired man still believed it was the love of Sara that had gotten her through it. Inwardly he was chuckling at the thought. The man he was fifteen years ago never would have even come close to thinking that. "Did you ever know that your Aunt Emily was shot?"

The young woman slumped back in her chair. Her mother had told her that her two aunts had been on the run. They had gone out west to confront whoever it was that was behind everything. She knew she hadn't seen either of her aunts for an extended amount of time. Rose had just assumed it was because they had needed the time to recover from the threats and being on the road. "No. I never heard about that."

Damion got a faraway look upon his face. "From what I was told, your Aunt Emily was a true hero." That brought a sad smile on his face but it quickly faded. "She of course saved your Aunt Sara and her commander. It came at a price, though." He swallowed. "The real reason that your Aunt Emily has trouble with her arm at times is because…" His blue eyes finally managed to meet mirror ones in his daughter. "She almost sacrificed herself for love."

There was a slight gasp from the young woman. "That's when I really started to respect your Aunt Emily again. I had begun to accept her and Aunt Sara. But I was pigheaded back then. Now I'm just stubborn." They both chuckled, glad of the slight humor to ease the tension. "When my sister was willing to forget about herself and give her life for two people she loved, I knew she wasn't the person I'd tried to make her out as."

Rose nodded in understanding. Sometimes, gestures so grand have to be made before people are willing to believe how much people have changed. "So what you're telling me is that the threat or threats are back." Damion nodded. The young woman sighed. "I don't care." She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the familiar number. It went straight to voicemail. "Aunt Emily, it's your niece. You're not getting out of being in the wedding party that easily. So I'm marking you down as RSVP'd. Love you."

The raven haired man laughed as he watched his daughter hit the end button. At one time the thought of just how much Rose was becoming like his sister would have made him cringe. The fact that his daughter had become a police officer was almost too close to what his sister had done for a living not that long ago. There were dangers. She, being a public servant, knew better than anyone. "Guess your aunts won't have an excuse now."

"Nope." Rose stood, taking the guest list with her. "And neither do you." Damion smiled. He knew he deserved that. Though it had been years since he had said anything negative, he had at one time and it would be difficult to outgrow that reputation. If his daughter and sister only knew just how glad he was Emily would be attending. He had learned it was the little things in life you have to savor. A wedding and the start of a new life together was one of them.

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It had been a week since Ellen's surprise visit. Neither Cynthia nor Sara had heard from her since. The cook was beginning to wonder if it had all been a bad dream or if she had been drinking too much caffeinated beverages as of late. The older woman was trying to keep busy so that she would not have to think about anything other than getting the house ready for the afternoon visit. Her girls were out on horseback somewhere. That left her to get the house ready.

They had attempted to help her, but the older woman was stubborn in more ways than one. Though she was technically retired, she was still the one that ran the house. Sara was busy at work and then with the dogs when she got home. Emily only worked part-time as a forest ranger. The remainder of the time was spent working with the horses. It took a lot of training to get the large animals to be ready to handle the special clientele of the weekends.

That left Cynthia to maintain the large ranch house. At the moment, she was sitting sipping her morning tea. She had been up with the sun, dusting and cleaning. It was time that she had a break. But with the break came thoughts of a certain petite blond; one that had been out of her life for the past fifteen years. The thought of Ellen brought up both pleasant and negative memories. To survive mentally, she wanted to only focus on the pleasant ones for the moment.

Her cell phone rang and she pulled it out glancing at the caller ID. Cynthia swallowed. It was as if Ellen had ESP or something. The cook's thoughts had been so deep on one subject; it was as if she had been calling to the woman to reach out to her. But was only a week enough to distance herself from the past and the present? The nearly all grey haired woman sighed deciding to answer the phone. In some ways it was better than hearing a message later on. "Hello?"

Ellen noticed the hesitancy in her former lover's voice. The philanthropist could not blame the woman she still loved more than words could express. For a moment, the words echoed in her head. _We're just too different…aren't we?_ She swallowed hard, cursing that she had ever said those words. Why? Why had it been all right to sleep with the help during a marriage but when free not all right? "I was just checking in with you…and the girls. Sara still isn't taking my phone calls."

The cook knew this. Sara was a very loving and forgiving person normally. But the words that her mother had said to her had really hurt her. Emily and the young woman at the time had been attempting to protect their older counterparts as well as themselves. And yet Ellen had had to say something about the soldier being the help and of course about how negative a lesbian relationship could look. "Things are not good right now."

There was a catch in Ellen's voice that was noticeable. Her first thought was that something had happened to her daughter, daughters she had to correct herself. If something had happened to Emily or Sara, the matriarch knew Cynthia would have told her, no matter how angry she was with her ex-lover. Her next thought was some sort of danger. She knew from her time in politics, things come back to bite you on the ass, no matter the time gone by. "If you can, tell me what's going on."

Cynthia sighed wishing she had used different words. The cook closed her grey eyes for a moment, attempting to find the right words. As Sara's mother, she had a right to know. But what exactly was there to tell? After the initial threat, it had been very quiet. As Emily liked to say, it was almost too quiet. "We don't know if it was some kind of horrible practical joke or if it's serious but there was a threat. Similar to the ones she received…"

"Say no more." Ellen sat back in her chair. She had been contemplating whether to visit her daughters or not. Of course that meant deciding on whether or not to visit Cynthia. That was the tougher of the two decisions at the moment. "I hope everything works out all right. Tell my girls that I love them and I'll keep them in my prayers." The matriarch hesitated for only a moment. "I love you too, my sweet cook. Always."

Before Cynthia could respond, the line went dead. The cook stared at the phone like it had bit her hand. It was, to her, a mixed message. True she spoke of the love she had for both the girls and for herself. But it was like she was distancing herself from the trio once again and in a time when they could all use the support emotionally. It was just like last time. Ellen still wasn't ready to put herself on the line emotionally. It was all right. She had her girls.

The cook stood and stretched. She'd been up for nearly three hours now. There was still so much to do. After taking the last few swallows of her now cold tea, she placed the empty cup in the dishwasher making a mental note to start a wash cycle soon. Cynthia went absently about straightening a house that was already in impeccable condition. It was out of nervous habit and in preparation for the first in-home visit by the social worker.

The older woman had wanted to tell her girls this was not the time to think about adopting and not just because of the threats. The threats were the major reason. But the other reason was they had just failed on their first attempt at getting pregnant. The emotions had to be running high from that. Stevie was also going to be a special needs young boy because of his history of child abuse. Cynthia sighed knowing there was nothing to cause either to stop when they wanted something so much.

But was wanting something enough to make it right? Cynthia paused her movements for several moments before continuing her dusting. Who was she to judge? She had willingly had an affair for over two decades only to find herself on her own. The cook rubbed the side of her face. Something told her that dealing with whatever the threat turned out to be was nothing compared to what was ahead of them all should the fostering and then adoption take place.

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The path was steep and not one the horses were used to. Both Emily and Sara were careful with their older horses. Temperance was easily scaling the rock strewn path and the ex-soldier was making good progress. Wishbone's smaller hooves seemed to be having a little bit more trouble but soon caught up to her older sister when the path leveled out. The married couple sat on their horses next to one another looking down at their ranch.

Absently, Sara reached out and took Emily's hand in her own. It was a rarity with their busy schedules that they took the time to go horseback riding. Even the raven haired beauty rarely left the confines of the ranch while training the horses. After having to live with the all too real threats lingering over their heads for a week and the upcoming social services visit, they had decided they needed an hour or two to relax.

One way was of course to make love. That had taken place the night before. Another way was to go out on Emily's motorcycle. It was still in pristine condition. At the moment, it was being stored at the diner once again or more precisely the garage behind the diner. During the winter, the forest ranger kept it there so that the harsh winter would do no damage to it. They finally agreed to build a small garage for their vehicles so next winter, it would be at the ranch. The final way for them to relax and talk at the same time was to be on horseback together.

"So…" Emily tore her eyes away from the beauty that was their home to the beauty that was her wife. Her blue eyes were sparkling brilliantly in the sunlight that was just peaking over the edge of the ridge. A half-smile was upon the raven haired woman's face. Though only been gone for an hour, both women's cheeks were taking on a pink glow from the coolness of the still winter air. It was Sara that found her voice first. "We've talked about this for years…and yet…I feel like I've pressured you into this."

The half-smile grew into an out and out smile. It was even more blinding than the sun that was peaking over the doctor's shoulder. Emily gave her wife's gloved hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll admit I was surprised when you came home telling me of the visit already set up." Somehow the tall form managed to lean over and capture her wife's chilled lips with her own. "I learned a long time ago. You follow your heart. Your heart said to do this. And I trust your heart. It's connected to mine, you know."

Sara was overcome with emotions. Her usually quiet wife had said more with those simple words than she had intended. The doctor had to turn away a moment as the tears were building up. It wasn't because she wanted to hide the tears. She was just trying to keep them from falling. After swallowing several times, she turned back to look into slightly amused eyes. "You really do know what to say to a girl to get her all choked up, Soldier Girl."

The use of the nickname caused Emily to laugh. Inside she was slightly, all right extremely turned on at the moment. There was something about the way Sara said 'her soldier' or 'soldier girl' that did things to her. The way it seemed to purr off from her lips caused certain areas of the ex-soldier to hum. "I just speak from my heart." The raven haired woman reached over and wiped a stray tear or two with her gloved hand. "And I say I want to give fostering a shot and hopefully adoption one day."

The petite blond wondered if it was a little odd. Even after all that they had been through, even with the lies in the beginning, Sara never once questioned that she and her wife should be together. Honestly she wondered how many other couples out there could say the same thing. There were probably some, but was it truly an unconditional love like this one? "I was hoping I hadn't pushed you into anything. I know I can be…persuasive."

Emily was chuckling once again. It was true. All that Sara had to do was to give her one of those famous looks of hers and she was lost. If she were to add a please or a kiss or…The wisps of white escaped from her mouth indicating the sigh. "You, my little doctor, can be extremely persuasive." Once again the soldier was leaning over for a kiss. She stopped in mid-motion as she heard something. Her finger went up to her lips to indicate they both should be silent.

The ex-soldier pulled out her Smith and Weston handgun. Green eyes grew wide. Sara should have known that as soon as they received the first threat her wife would have armed herself. It was still a bit of a surprise to see the weapon in her loving hands. Emily easily dismounted a nervous Temperance handing the reins to her wife to hold onto. Though not a soldier, the doctor understood the hand signals and sat very still on Wishbone hoping neither horse would spook.

The movement was not of a forest ranger. The movement was more like a large black panther. To Sara, watching Emily like this was like watching both power and grace. It was watching the woman do what came natural. A thought occurred to her that she wanted to ask but knew the answer to. There was a part of the ex-soldier that wanted to have remained a soldier. Her mental anguish and her injured shoulder prevented that.

The raven haired woman soundlessly walked into the forest that lined the ridge. It wasn't long before she was on the other side of the opening looking through branches to see a stiff Sara still waiting, holding the reins extremely tight. Emily allowed herself a half smile before she returned to the business at hand. The cold air of course was not doing her injured left shoulder any good. They had been out far too long and it was stiffening barely moving.

Emily cursed herself inwardly. With the threats and with the visit today, she should have worn her thick thermal. She hated wearing the article of clothing as it hampered her movement. Of course her movement was also hampered because of the cold so it was a catch twenty two. Either be slightly hampered and uncomfortable or take a chance and let the cold weather really hamper her movements. She realized there was enough time to berate herself later.

Right now, there was someone on the other side of the large pine tree. The trunk had to be nearly three feet in diameter easily blocking out the person on the other side. Emily was having to hold the gun only in her right hand. She was glad it was the old style gun compared to the more forceful Glock she had back at the ranch. Actually, she now had a multitude of weapons all locked safely away in the attic away from anyone, especially a certain little boy.

There were a few stored on the top shelf of their joint closet. Those too were locked in a box. The keys were rarely out of the raven haired woman's possession, even while she slept. A twig snapped on the other side of the tree and she knew the person, she took a sniff of the air, woman was on the move. Without waiting any longer, Emily sprung herself right into the path of… "Anne?" The gun was still cocked and ready to fire. "What in blazes are you doing out here?"

The sandy blond woman fell back against the tree. Though she had worked for Sara and Emily for five years now, she was not sure what to think about her raven haired boss waving a gun in her face. Anne's face was white and her heart was racing looking down the barrel of the small handgun. Her translucent eyes blinked a couple times. "I…I was just taking Spirit for a long ride." With her head, she nodded to a ways down the trail where the black stallion was tied to a tree greedily eating the green sprouts.

Emily felt the tension from her body release. It helped her shoulder for which she was thankful. She realized she was still holding the gun, slowly taking it out of the ready to fire mode and placing it back in the case at her side. "How is he doing?" When translucent eyes simply blinked at her, the forest ranger was cursing herself for letting her old military training get the better of her. "Anne…Anne!" Finally the sandy blond looked at her and not where the gun had been. "I'm sorry I scared you."

Anne looked down at her cowboy boots. They were scuffed and showed a lot of wear. It was all done while in the employ of two of the nicest most generous people she had ever known. They had been honest with her before they hired her. Sara was a former senator's daughter who had at one time had been physically threatened. They had warned that might never go away. "I'm sorry too. I should have told you and Sara that I was going to exercise Spirit."

Finally those translucent eyes were meeting kind blue ones. Emily put her hand on Anne's shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze hoping to reassure her. "I should have told you…we should have told you and the boys that…" Something caught the ex-soldier's interest. "Some things from the past have been starting to haunt us again. We'll talk more later. Please take Spirit back. I have to check on something else before I return to the ranch as well."

The sandy blond didn't have to be told twice. She knew out here in the open, though it was private property, was a dangerous place to be. Gathering the reins to the tall stallion before easily mounting him, she glanced back at Emily. Her boss had her gun once again in her hand. Anne shivered at the thought of ever pissing off either of her employers and quickly urged Stallion into a walk wanting to go faster but knowing the passage could be treacherous plus he was still healing from a strained muscle.

Emily was once again on the prowl. She was certain that Anne was not what had alerted her in the first place. Usually when it was someone known to her, she was able to tell by scent or by some kind of gut feeling. That gave her pause when it came to her employer. Having Sara use her contacts with the CIA to do a background on each of their employees meant nothing. It was too easy to buy credentials that could fool even top military personnel.

It had to be ten minutes before Emily found what she was looking for. To the untrained eye, there was nothing there. To her Special Forces mind, there were tracks of all sorts left behind. The ex-soldier continued to scout the area. It was obvious this was an Intel gathering mission for whoever had trespassed on their property. There was nothing that could be done with what little was left behind. A frustrated forest ranger kept her firearm in hand just in case.

It was twenty minutes later when she finally made her way back to her wife. Sara was stiffly holding both sets of reins, glancing around her as if looking for something or someone. Emily easily shifted from Special Forces soldier to loving and concerned wife. The raven haired woman placed her gun where it belonged and out of sight. She made sure she was in the petite blond's line of sight before returning to her side.

All Sara needed was to take one look at her wife's face. "Trouble." It was not a question. It was simply a statement of fact. The doctor handed her soulmate the reins to her horse and waited for the tall woman to mount. "Well, this should be an interesting day." They both chuckled as Emily took the lead once again. The petite blond knew it was partly because of the better footing of Temperance but mostly it was because her soldier was putting herself in the line of fire.

Emily's voice carried back easily though she kept her voice relatively low. "Anne was up here." The raven haired woman could almost see the eyebrows raise in question. "She said that she was exercising Spirit." It was not in a convincing tone that the forest ranger spoke. "I either scared her or she's a really good actress." With a quick flick of her tongue, the ex-soldier moistened her chapping lips. "Someone has been on our property." She cleared her throat. "Someone like I used to be."

"And the day gets more interesting all ready." Sara laughed softly. What could she do? What good would becoming upset do? It wasn't that she was used to this or anything. Over a short few weeks, she followed Emily around as they literally ran for their lives. So many things happened to them and yet in the end it all brought them to where they were now. Again, why fight destiny? It seemed they were destined to fight something, most likely from their past.

They rode on in silence the remainder of the way back to the ranch. Anne was already there. The sandy blond smiled weakly at them as she offered to take care of both horses. The couple was grateful as their ride had taken almost twice as long as they had intended. Of course neither of them could have foreseen what had happened. Another threat, only a quiet one this time. Emily's mind was racing on how to better secure a wooded area. It would be a challenge.

They took a moment to play with their brood. The dozen puppies ranged from one year to fourteen. They were all rescue dogs that were starved for attention. Both women spent time in the morning and evening with them. When home, Emily made sure to spend her lunch with their babies as they had termed the group. They were quite lucky dogs as they had access to a heated indoor pen full of toys. Of course they had easy access to the outdoors via a doggie door.

After spending the morning and early afternoon with their horses or puppies, the couple showered quickly and ate an early lunch. Sara was in the room they were already preparing for Stevie. It had always been setup for a child, even when they first built the place. The color had been carefully chosen as a pale yellow to be neutral to whichever gender their child happened to be. The petite bond was actually contemplating what toys to get the young boy as well as what color he'd like the room.

Emily watched her wife for a moment. There was a glow about her. It was almost like she was pregnant and she was getting the room ready for their child. They were getting the room ready for their child, instead of their newborn. The forest ranger leaned against the small dresser still fascinated by her soulmate. Sara had this amazing heart. What was sad, only a handful of people truly got to see the real her.

After what happened, trust became a real issue for both women. Of course being a soldier and seeing a lot of horrible things in her time, Emily had always had a difficult time when it came to trusting someone. Her brother disowning her had something to do with that. For Sara, it was partially her upbringing in the political arena that made trust difficult. Now, after what happened with her father and friend who turned out to be her half-sister, trust had to be earned.

Even after hiring the ranch hands, it took Sara literally a year to trust them. Even now, Emily could see how sometimes she wasn't sure about if they were trustworthy. The forest ranger hated the thought, almost as much as she hated the fact that the world was missing out on a wonderful thing. The raven haired woman forced all those negative thoughts from her mind as there was a knock on the door. They both knew that Cynthia would answer the door yet they quickly made their way into the living room.

Dorothy Winters was already in the door and being asked if she wanted to have a seat. The social worker shook her head. Her eyes locked a moment with Sara's. The doctor knew the routine all too well. In the years since becoming a doctor, she had actually gone on a handful of home visits. She went on the ones where abuse was suspected but had yet to be proven. Normally a psychologist went along but in the rural area, they sometimes used her instead.

"Hello, ladies." The shy and quiet social work remained a woman of few words. "Dr. Kingston…" Sara was about to protest but Emily gently placed her hand on the small of her back. Legally her name was now House. There were those around who refused to see her that way. In the back of the ex-soldier's mind, it was funny a woman who worked for the government would not use her legal name. Somehow the tall raven haired woman managed to keep the alarm from showing on her face. "You know the routine best."

Sara nodded absently. Without a word, she made her way into the kitchen. After she was sure everyone had followed her, she began to speak. "As you can see, this room, along with the entire house, is childproof. All the cabinets have child locks on them." The doctor proceeded to demonstrate by opening a few. "We have children here on the weekends as part of the ranch program. We usually have lunch outside when it's nice enough weather wise, but it does rain and gets cold."

The petite blond chuckled, obviously from nerves. Once again Emily was standing beside her wife gently pressing her hand into her lower back. Sara smiled warmly. It was a small but intimate gesture but it was greatly appreciated. "If you follow me." The doctor proceeded to show the social worker every square inch of the house. She even showed her the attic, though there was no way any child could reach it, even with a ladder. One of the things her soldier had thought of.

Next, they headed outside to inspect the grounds. There were the puppies to explain. The gate was locked so that only someone with the key could get in. The key was kept in one of the kitchen drawers that was also had a child lock on it. It was clear the social worker was not a friend of puppies, but even she warmed up to the overly affectionate group of dogs. Next they made their way to the stables. Once again, there were safety guards in place everywhere.

The social worker was admittedly impressed by the ranch. She had already run the background check on the two women and the housekeeper. Ms. Winters had also run background on the employees and did some research on the working ranch and how it actually helped children with disabilities. There simply was not anything she could see against allowing the two women to foster the child. In fact, she was already thinking about skipping that step and beginning the adoption procedures.

The quartet of women was now sitting around the small kitchen table drinking their beverage of choice. "I think I can go to the judge tomorrow. We can start the fostering paperwork tonight." Ms. Winters pulled out some papers from her attaché and handed them to the two women. "Before we start the process, are you sure there isn't something that you need to tell me?" The social worker gave each woman a grim look.

Bells and whistles were once again flashing in Emily's mind. "Excuse me for just a moment, please?" Not just the social worker looked confused when the ex-soldier stood and made her way out the front door into the cold afternoon air. A cell phone that looked more like a small Walkie Talkie then a phone was pulled from inside her vest that she wore. Taking a deep breath, she dialed the number of her lone friend. "Hey. Are you near a secured computer?"

Emily waited for the man to get settled. "Can you run a check on someone for me? Dorothy Winters. I don't know much about her other than she's a social worker here." There was some typing and some beeping from a computer. The ex-soldier waited patiently knowing that her time frame for being outside was minimal at best. "Send it to my secure e-mail address when you get the information. She's here now and I have a bad feeling about her. Don't want to leave her alone with Sara and Cynthia too long."

Without waiting for a response, Emily turned the cell phone completely off. Even though it was secure, she was not about to take any chances leaving it on to be traced. The forest ranger made her way back into the house and into the kitchen. "Sorry. I forgot to feed the puppies earlier." Sara and Cynthia gave her questioning looks, but both thankfully refrained from saying anything. "It could have waited, but we like to maintain a schedule for the herd."

The social worker looked like she wanted to say something. Her face became a mask. Emily had, previously to today, only met the woman about a dozen times. Although Sara had been involved in social services and all it entailed, that particular side of her life had stayed out of their personal lives for the most part. Now that she was spending real time with her, there was something that was not right. "That's a good thing. The same goes with a child."

The smile was anything but sincere. Emily was ever the professional soldier. She kept a small smile on her face as she finished filling out the paperwork the woman had asked them to before she had taken her little break. Without looking up, she could feel eyes upon her. It was enough to make her angry. Yet she managed to maintain her stoic side. It really was like all of her training, training she had tried to rid herself of, was coming back full force.

Several hours later, the married couple where getting ready for bed. Emily pulled out the secure laptop she had retrieved from her apartment. Sara came up behind her and noticed this was not the computer they shared. Her wife made no attempt to hide what was on the screen. The petite blond eyed the report, her hand going to her mouth. A sigh escaped the raven haired woman. "I don't know what this means as far as Stevie goes."

Sara managed to recover enough to have her hands on her wife's shoulders. She leaned down and kissed the dark tresses. Her green eyes closed in thought. A woman had posed for years as a social worker, one who was really dead, so that she could get both the doctor and her wife. It was not something the petite blond wanted to think about. But she knew that it was a possibility that almost anyone in their lives was not who they said they were.

"It means we might have to fight a little harder. Or…" A sickening thought hit the doctor in the guts causing her to become weak in the knees. Emily quickly steadied her wife by causing her to sit in her lap. "Or it could be that they want us to foster or adopt him." Sapphire eyes locked with emerald ones. It was something the ex-soldier knew some soulless people would do. "They want us to be distracted protecting an innocent."

"Well, it's working." Emily slammed the top of the laptop shut. The ex-soldier stood easily carrying her wife with her to the bed. Her bad arm was giving her problems causing her to set Sara down before she had wanted to. Sighing heavily, the raven haired woman pulled back the blankets waiting until her wife was comfortable before joining her in bed. In an instant, the doctor was snuggled up tightly to her soulmate.

There was already so much to worry about, but Emily could no longer keep things from her wife. "I need to tell you a couple things." Sara stiffened a little. She tried to force her body to relax but when her wife spoke like that, it was usually not a good thing. "The first is that I've been maintaining my old apartment back in Washington." That got a small chuckle out of the petite blond causing her body to fully relax. "I take it you knew?"

"I've known for a while." Sara snuggled up to her tall lover enjoying the heat. Though they had a wonderfully warm and fluffy comforter, it was always nice to have the body heat and the assurance of her lover next to her. Plus, she knew the heat helped her wife's shoulder. "I figured that you held onto it because of the…special modifications." The petite blond took a deep breath before asking her next question. "Did you think something could come back to haunt us?"

Emily closed her eyes as the images flashed in her mind. One set were from a time she had trouble forgetting and had caused Bonnie to seek revenge. Another set of images were from her recently rediscovered past. Had she thought that something like this would happen again? "Honestly, I wasn't sure if someone from your father's past, one of your sister's, Bonnie or someone from my soldier days would come seeking revenge of some sort. Long way of saying it, but yes."

Sara could sense there was more to it. The last part was simply too generic. Plus, there were how many nights as of late that she had found herself in bed, alone. Where had her soldier been in the cold winter nights? Emily had either been with the horses or with the puppies. She wanted to ask so badly. Even after over fifteen years together, she was still a little afraid. Or was it her self-confidence still not as strong as she tried to make it seem?

"Just ask me." Emily was now leaning on her side just a little so that she could look into green eyes. Sara didn't have to ask with words. There was a beseeching in her emerald eyes that just about broke her heart. Azure eyes closed for a moment, not wanting to see, not wanting to say it out loud to make it real. "I…" The soldier, for that was what she was at that moment, swallowed hard. Her heart was racing a million beats a minute it seemed.

"I was involved in something. I was right out of training for Special Forces." A solitary tear rolled down her cheek only to be captured by a loving finger. "I wasn't told everything." It was so difficult to talk about. And yet, it was what she needed to do. "I went in blind. It all happened so fast." The breathing of the raven haired woman was nearly matching her heartbeats. "I killed an innocent little girl." The last part was choked out between gulps of breath.

The petite blond was stunned. She had no idea what she could possibly say. Emily had been only seventeen when she had finished her accelerated training. A young mind like that having to go through something so tragic was something Sara would not wish upon her worst enemy. There had to have been a cover up. That had to be the reason that her soldier had kept it bottled up. But what had triggered the memories and why now?


	4. Chapter 4

Jaden was getting antsy. It had been about three weeks since Bonnie's release and they seemed no closer to getting to Sara and Emily. There was the social worker. She seemed to be getting things pushed through quite nicely as the temporary custody had been established for little Stevie. It was a shame a child had to be used this way. It was a shame that her sister would never recover. In fact, Jasmine had been getting worse every day.

The petite brown haired woman stood, as she did most mornings, in the hospital room of her sister. She was waiting to hear what the doctors had to say. It was of course going to be the same thing. It was a miracle that her younger sister had lived the last fifteen years. Jaden knew why. Jasmine wanted to realize the same thing that she did. She wanted to see the destruction of the two women that were the reason for her condition in the first place.

"J-Jaden?" The voice, as always, was so weak that Jasmine almost didn't hear it. With speed and grace she didn't feel, the brown haired woman made her way to her sister's side. "I dreamed of…" Tears were flowing from her emerald eyes. The ones which were the only true evidence she, and her twin sister, were related to the petite blond from America. "I can still feel…" Her hands attempted to go to her hair but were held to her side by strong hands.

"I know you can." Jaden carefully let go of one of the hands that had been attempting to feel her sister's the head. If she allowed, it would only strengthen the nightmares which still haunted her. It would cause her already weak body to use up precious reserves used to fight off infections and other conditions that still plagued her body. "But that is over. I told you. I'm taking care of everything, including making sure you get better."

Jasmine managed to nod her head. There was a light tapping at the door. "If you'll excuse me, Little Sis, I think the doc wants to talk to me. Probably has good news for once. You just relax and try to forget all of that." The brown haired woman took a hand in her own giving it the gentlest of squeezes. "Remember, you're all I have left so you better stay with me." That got a soft laugh out of her twin. A kiss on the forehead was given before making her way to the door.

Safely out in the hallway, Jaden waited patiently as the doctor was scanning the chart in front of him. Patience was not her virtue. She wanted results and she wanted them now. In fifteen years, she had used thirty different doctors, all supposed to be the best in their profession. Of course she had been disappointed every single time. "I'm sorry, Miss Riaz. There is simply nothing that can be done for your sister besides keeping her comfortable. In fact, it would almost…"

The knife was in her hand and against the man's throat before he even realized she had moved. The blade was slicing into the wrinkled neck as this man was a retired doctor approaching his mid-seventies. "If you or anyone ever thinks about putting my sister down like a dog, I'll kill you. It won't be all nice like where they give you a shot and you got to sleep. Oh no, it'll be slow." The knife cut deeper causing blood to flow easily down his neck. "And it will be painful."

Jasmine stood back. The older man was visibly shaking. The chart had fallen to the titled floor. There were the telltale signs of his brown trousers having dark streaks the entire length of his pants legs. Green eyes twinkled, not out of amusement but of satisfaction. All of her employees, whether temporary like this man or the ones that were fully entrenched in her empire, feared her. In fact, they called her Pequeño Guerrero which meant Small Warrior.

There was a scream from inside the room. Jaden was in the room like a shot. It took the startled doctor longer to react. Slowly, he approached unsure of the reception he would receive. The petite woman was screaming. The sounds of the heart monitor were telling everyone that Jasmine had just lost her battle with what had afflicted her. The older man approached to help only to find the same knife sticking from his chest all the way to the hilt.

The surprised eyes stood there for a moment. Strength was something that Jaden had in spades. When she wasn't with her sister or running an empire, she worked out. Not just the kind of working out that entailed maintaining one's weight. What she did was to build up her body. There were few men that could overpower her. She watched as the man slumped to the ground, all life having left his body. "Guards!"

Before long, there were two burly men standing at the entrance. Their eyes grew wide as they took in the scene. Both wanted to clear the room of the garbage but knew that they were not to move a muscle until they were told what to do. "I want this pig to be thrown where not even the worms can find him." Both men bowed their heads. With as little noise as possible, they took the man from the room leaving Jaden to grieve.

Reverently, Jaden sat on the bed next to her sister's body. Truth be told, they had longer together than they were supposed to. And yet they had been separated their entire youth. Out of thirty seven years on the earth, the twins only managed to be in contact for fifteen of them. They were twins. They were supposed to have this connection. It was stolen from them first by their father. Then it was stolen by the two women that were now happier than ever together.

"I hate to harm children, but I have no choice." Jaden slowly began to remove all of the medical equipment and devices that were attached to her sister. Sadly, Jasmine no longer needed any of them. "Rest now my sweet Little One. Rest easy knowing I will avenge your death. I will avenge the suffering that you had to go through the past fifteen years. In the process, I will make our legacy stronger before handing it to someone worthy, if such a person exists."

Jaden sat in silence for several moments. Slowly, she took her sister's body into her arms. She rocked back and forth before she began to sing an old lullaby. Jasmine had never heard the song before her older sister had sung it to her the first night she had been in their hospital. It was sweet. It was comforting. It was all that the sister left behind could think to say or do. It was time to let go. It wouldn't be easy.

Gently, Jaden laid the still body back onto the bed. Only a stray tear here and there managed to escape from the quickly hardening woman. She managed not to choke as she pulled the white cotton sheet over her sister's once beautiful face. The brown haired woman had to steady herself on the guardrails for several moments before she could muster the strength to leave the one person on earth that had given her unending strength.

"They won't know what hit them." Jaden made it to the door before looking back. First she had a funeral to plan. Then she would unleash Hell on earth. It brought a small measure of comfort to think that she would be destroying two women that loved one another so. One that was always trying to do good. One who was always trying to save the environment. "If I let it go, your past would come back and bury you. But I'm beyond waiting. The time is now."

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Ellen stood outside the ranch door. She was certain that Cynthia, if her daughters were not home, would know that she was outside. The barking puppies certainly let everyone know. Or were they like this all the time? The matriarch was saddened by the thought of just how out of touch she had become. That was not true either. In fact, she had never been in touch with her daughter. In a way, she wondered how in touch with her former lover she had ever been.

The petite blond shook the thoughts from her mind. It was what she continued to wonder about over and over again. It was the past. Though she needed to learn from the past, she also needed to stop dwelling on it. If she needed to stop dwelling on the past, why was she here? To hopefully start over. First she needed to reconcile with her ex-girlfriend. Cynthia knew her and she knew the kids. Ellen softly chuckled at the thought of the almost six foot ex-soldier as a kid.

"Something funny?" Ellen spun around at the sound of the commanding voice. The petite hand went to her chest as her heart was threatening to pound right out of its encasement. Emily smiled sadly before her face took on the look of a soldier. Though the slight woman was technically her mother-in-law, to her the matriarch had yet to earn her respect. Ice blue eyes caused a chill to run up and down the smaller woman's spine.

It took several swallows and looking away from the intense stare before she was able to find her voice. "Nothing funny exactly. Just thinking." There were several ticks of the clock in complete silence before the petite blond found the courage to look into her daughter-in-law's eyes. The coolness had been replaced by amusement it seemed. Ellen wondered how her daughter was able to handle the iciness of the woman standing before her.

Sara probably rarely if ever got to see that face. If nothing else, Ellen remembered the looks they shared before they had left the mansion. She also remembered the looks the couple shared in the all too brief time at the cabin. Those looks told the story of a love so deep and complete that it put all others to shame. The matriarch knew that it also put her love with Cynthia to shame. In that moment, she was jealous of her daughter.

It was silly. It wasn't Sara's fault that she had found her soulmate. It wasn't her fault that her daughter had opened her heart to the love that was there in front of her. Ellen never had opened up, not fully, to the love that Cynthia had offered her without thought and without regard to herself. Had Henry, her husband, ever found out earlier…The matriarch shivered to think just what he would have done. Then again, maybe he would have done nothing because in the end, he had known.

It was discovered it wasn't Henry that had Ellen and her girlfriend followed. It was the Columbians. It was the ones that wanted the senator's power, the information being revealed from several senate hearings. From what they could gather, her husband had a change of heart. Slowly, he had begun to distance himself from his former allies. It had, in the end, caused a lot of problems. His daughter being put in danger was the worst thing. That was most likely why the man had killed himself.

It was clear that Emily was not going to ask why she was there. She wondered if the soldier was a woman of few words. During the time that she had been employed as a cook, it seemed that the raven haired woman rarely spoke. She always seemed to go about her business. Of course she had been undercover. Was that the reason why she had spoken so little? So much Ellen didn't know about the woman that had stolen her daughter's heart.

"I came here to see Cynthia." Ellen attempted to regain some of her usual inner strength. The imposing figure standing before her, dressed like a cowgirl, was not helping matters. "I mean, I came here hoping to speak to any of you actually." That got a dark eyebrow raised in question. The petite blond took a deep breath. "You aren't going to make this easy on me, are you?" The woman felt like she was a two year old being chastised for something.

Emily finally let her façade slip just a bit. There was now a bit of warmness to her eyes. Sara was hurting so badly still over what her mother had said; it was difficult to welcome the woman in any regard. Still, it was only polite to offer her something warm to drink. It was the end of March and winter was not about to give up just yet. "Military training." The soldier watched the puff of breath come out of her mouth. "Since you're here, would you like a cup of tea or coffee?"

Ellen visibly relaxed. It was a simple gesture. It was what the ex-soldier would most likely do for anyone that showed up on her doorstep unannounced. "I'd like that." Emily simply nodded. The matriarch followed her to the door. The ex-soldier held it open. The petite blond hesitated a moment. The house was so warm and that was not just the indoor temperature. The couple had made a home to be proud of. "I like your home. It's so warm and inviting."

The forest ranger shrugged her shoulders as she hung up her heavy coat, hat and scarf. She held out her hand without saying anything. Ellen handed over her outer winter attire. "You'll have to thank Sara for that." A nod of the head and they were off towards the kitchen. "Cynthia, I've brought a guest. Is there any way I can get another…" She trailed off when she saw her friend's face. Emily closed her eyes, mentally cursing herself for not having warned the cook.

"Tea or coffee?" Cynthia would not even look at either woman. She had abruptly turned back to the meal she was preparing. Soon, the ranch hands would be arriving to eat lunch, all but Anne. The woman seemed to like to spend any of her free time by herself. Where, the cook had no idea. In a way, she wished she knew. There had been another threat two days prior but it was so generic and unlike the others it was making the woman paranoid.

It suddenly seemed colder inside than out. Ellen knew it was to be expected. It still cut her deeply. But she was the former wife of a senator. There had been so many things printed about her and her husband over the years, she had lost track of them all. "Tea would be nice. Thank you." She watched the movements, so strained, as Cynthia went about the task of making everyone tea. The petite blond was suddenly not so sure about having come.

Emily could sense the change in her mother-in-law. Not that Ellen had been comfortable at all since she had arrived, but having Cynthia treat her in the manner she was had to be difficult to tolerate. Of course if Sara were here, it would probably be at least ten times worse. "Why don't we sit down?" The raven haired woman was pulling out a chair from around the small kitchen table. She waited patiently until the older woman was settled before taking her own seat next to her.

It wasn't long before Cynthia had the tea on the table along with cream and sugar. Normally she would sit and spend whatever time Emily would take for lunch with the raven haired woman. Though she wanted more than anything to find out why, after all these years, was Ellen finally attempting to make amends with everyone, her heart just couldn't take being broken once again. Instead, she stood at the counter fussing with the lunch which was already prepared.

Sensitive chats were not her strong suit. When it came to Sara, Emily could handle almost anything that was thrown at her. When it came to other people, she was almost at a loss. There was one exception outside her wife to that rule. Children. The ex-soldier woman seemed to have an affinity for those younger than ten. When they got to teen years, it was a different story. "So, what is it exactly that brings you to our home?"

So much for being sensitive. Emily realized as soon as she'd asked the question, it had put her mother-in-law on the hot seat unintentionally. There was a silence for several moments. It went on so long that the ex-soldier was about to say something. Ellen clearing her throat forestalled her speech. "I don't know what I'm doing here." A snort came from where Cynthia still had her back to the table. "The past few weeks, I've just felt like I have unfinished business for some reason."

Cynthia finally whipped around. She slammed her hands down on the table nearly spilling everything. Her grey eyes looked deep into the green ones of her former lover. "Unfinished business? Do you call ignoring pleas for understanding 'unfinished business'? Do you call ignoring your only child and her wife for fifteen years 'unfinished business'?" The cook was shaking her head. "Sometimes I have to say that you are simply too much."

Ellen watched her former lover straighten. The pain, confusion and love were all flowing across her face at the same time. At least there was still love. At least there was still an outside shot at them one day reconciling. Or was the petite blond only deluding herself, seeing what she wanted to see? "I consider anything that makes me a coward like trying in the real world to make a relationship with us work unfinished business. I also consider unfinished business getting to know my daughter-in-law better and rectify hurting my Sara so."

"Your Sara?" Ellen seemed to be on a roll the way she was choosing words that seemed to irritate her former lover. Cynthia stood for a moment, her arms crossed against her chest. "You might have given birth to her but I'm more of a mother than you've ever been." The cook saw the ashen look on the petite blond. Immediately she felt guilty for her words. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it exactly like that. I guess I'm still quite raw from everything. I should go."

The petite blond moved quickly. Emily stood as well. She wasn't sure what was about to happen. It had been interesting so far. Sadly, it had gone better than she had thought it might. Ellen made her way to the door. "I won't have you going anywhere. This is your home. I guess I didn't give you enough time or maybe I didn't express myself well enough last time we spoke." The matriarch quickly put on her outer wear. "I just want you to know, I still love you Cynthia. And I'm sorry Emily for not getting to know you better and for hurting Sara so. I'll go. I won't be back until one of you invites me again."

Before Emily or Cynthia could say anything, the door was closing behind the petite form. The two tall women turned to look at one another. There were so many emotions flowing through each of their minds. The ex-soldier was leaving in a couple hours to pick up her wife and foster son. She was not looking forward to having to tell Sara what had transpired. At the moment, the raven haired woman really didn't know which was more difficult to face, her mother-in-law or physical threats.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

It had been a long day. Dr. House was now officially off the clock. Sara smiled at the thought. As one of the few doctors in fifty square miles and the only clinic within those fifty square miles, she was rarely if ever off the clock. Luckily there had been few emergencies and those that had occurred were not severe enough to have her come to the rescue. That meant those cases could go to the local hospital nearly seventy miles away.

The petite blond had walked the short distance to the administrative building. It was where everything in the small town took place. The building housed the police, the small court and social services. It was the capital of the small little county. It was where everyone seemed to go when they needed or wanted something. In her case, she wanted a son. Of course she would rather have carried the child. But blood was the last thing that made a family.

Sara knew that better than anyone. She closed her eyes not wanting to repeat what she seemed to think every day. Her family growing up had not been her parents but the woman that still took care of her and Emily. Then there was the ex-soldier. There had been something about her. The doctor shook her head. These were thoughts she'd had over and over again. There was no need in rehashing any of it. It was not like her mother wanted back in her life, not really.

If Ellen had wanted to become a part of her daughter's life, she wouldn't have taken fifteen years to contact her. Then she hadn't even contacted her. She had contacted Cynthia first. Perhaps it had been easier to reach out to an old lover than it had been to the woman you had disappointed so many times in your life. Whatever the reason behind it, it had hurt that her mother had reached out to her former lover before she had reached out to her daughter.

If she were realistic with one herself, Sara would have acknowledged that she would have most likely told her mother to go to Hell, maybe not even spoken to her quite that politely. While still a little unsure of herself at times, there was one person that seemed to bring out the feistiness in her. Emily could not even claim that title. It belonged solely to the woman that had given birth to her. Had her father still been alive, that might have made things different.

Maudlin thoughts. Sara had enough of them. With the second threat being issued, she had become a little melancholy. Not with Emily or their life together but with the outside world. For the doctor, her life now revolved around three people, several horses and a pack of dogs. The last part made her smile. The thought of her family always made her smile. Even in the worst situations, she only had to think of her tall dark and dangerous lover and the world seemed to right itself.

"Hey good lookin'." In those three words, Sara's world righted itself once again. The petite blond quickly stood from the bench she had been sitting on just outside the social services offices. Emily had braced herself knowing most likely what kind of reception she would receive. It seemed her doctor loved to hug her and the forest ranger had no arguments about that whatsoever. "What's a good looking woman like you doing here all alone?"

"I'm looking to take home a certain young man." Emily went along with the banter and began to pout. Sara laughed. It had been a stressful week. Not so much the threats, but getting their home ready for a three year old with emotional needs. Though truth be told, the house had been almost perfect before. "But you look so good I think I'll bring you home too." There was an instant twinkling in the blue eyes of her wife. "So what do you say, tall dark and dangerous. Want to give a girl and a guy a ride?"

Not caring where they were, Emily leaned down and captured her wife's lips. It was a tender kiss. It conveyed so much. The ex-soldier had a lot to be thankful for. Right now one of those things was bringing home their son. "I think that can be arranged." The twinkling grew. "I guess it's a good thing it's still too cold for the motorcycle, huh?" That got her a playful shove in the ribs. It was enough to separate the couple. The raven haired woman opened the door, waiting for the petite blond to enter.

Stevie could not be restrained from the imposter social worker. This was the hard part. Not taking home a boy they both knew they'd love no matter what issues he'd grow to have, but having to deal with someone that was likely setting them up. It was, after much discussion, the right thing to do. There weren't too many families that were qualified or willing to take on a child that had emotional issues. The sandy blond little boy deserved happiness and more.

Both women were standing close enough together that he wrapped his arm around Emily's tall leg while hugging Sara's smaller leg. The couple looked at one another and smiled. They'd had one visit to the ranch before the judge had allowed for temporary custody. There were still a few more hurdles they would have to jump over, but nothing was too much for the little boy. "Hey there, Stevie." The boy's brown eyes were full of moisture at the soft words of the blond.

The little boy blinked causing the tears to scatter from his eyes. Emily picked up the boy with her good arm while wiping the tears away from his cheek. "Hey Little Man." Stevie's arms wrapped around the neck of the ex-soldier, almost causing her to choke. It would have been from tears of her own. The stoic forest ranger managed to keep herself from balling like a little baby. "We have to talk to Ms. Winters real quick, then we can go play with the puppies."

Stevie simply held on tighter. The imposter smiled. It was a cold smile or at least seemed that way. Perhaps it was because both women knew the truth of the woman standing there. "Actually, all we have to do is have you both sign a couple more papers and then you'll be free to go home." The smile grew. It was almost like she was sneering at the two women. It sent shivers up and down the petite blond's spine. Sara attempted to control her reactions.

Though she had grown up in the spotlight, there was something different about this. The pretense was difficult to maintain. Maybe it was because she had always vowed, even before she knew she was a lesbian, any child she had would not grow up in the media. No child of hers would have to put on airs just to make it in the world. This was starting Stevie out with having to put on a show. Even though it was for his protection, she still hated the feeling.

"Cool. Then it's burgers and greasy fries." When Sara heard the clearing of the would be social worker still attempting to be just that, she smiled her own fake smile. It was a perfect smile, unlike the woman standing across from her. Years of practicing smiling for the cameras were coming in handy. "We already discussed it last time with Stevie. He knows that we're going to eat healthy. But every once in a while on special occasions, we'll pig out."

That elicited a giggle from the small child who was malnourished along with still healing from the burns. He nodded so that the mean lady, as he had taken to referring to Ms. Winters, would know he understood. Emily leaned her head against the boys. It was bliss. Having a child was something she never thought she would have. It wasn't because she knew from a young age she was a lesbian. Even as a youth, she knew there were alternatives.

It was after Alicia's tragic death, she had put out of her mind ever being in a loving situation where she felt that she was ready to have a child. Raising a child on her own was one thing she would never do. After having older foster parents in the General and his wife, she knew she wanted to have children young while she still had the energy to keep up with them. "I think my Little Man here could use just a little junk food. I keep having to check to see if I'm still holding him."

Another round of giggles escaped from the young child. Sara reached over and tickled the back of his neck causing him to squirm. The doctor's heart soared. If it weren't for the known threats and the fact that they were using this child to distract them, this would go down as the happiest moment in her life. The close two were meeting Emily and then marrying her. Of course who could forget the first time they made love. That had been repeated several times in the same cabin on their honeymoon.

After the display, Ms. Winter quickly got them to sign the paperwork, giving them their own copies. They had gotten Stevie all set in the back of their Jeep. They were still partial to those after having ridden across the country in one together. Of course they had remembered the booster seat and everything. They went to the local diner where they not only had hamburgers and French fries but also had milkshakes. It was the first time the boy had ever had one.

The fact made both women realize there were a lot of firsts out there for their son. The best was going to be riding on the horses as a family. One of Temperance's offspring had just had a foal. It would be a large animal when it grew up but for now it would be perfect for little Stevie to be around to familiarize himself with horses. When they arrived home, they went to the stables to say hello to the horses before spending almost an hour playing with the puppies.

Getting to be late, Emily and Sara took on the task of getting their son bathed and ready for bed. Stevie's room was any young boy's dream room. There were decals from the movie 'Cars'. There were numerous stuffed bears. There was a racetrack. There were soldiers. There was even a squirt gun set. That was reserved for when the weather warmed up. The bed was even in the shape of Lightning McQueen from the same movie.

Emily tucked in her son while her wife sought a book. It was an adventure based on the same movie. It was a theme it seemed in the young boy's life. It was sadly the only Disney movie that Stevie had ever seen so he said it was his favorite. Another of many things they planned on one day doing with their newest addition. To the big kid that was the ex-solider, a day of Disney movies was something she looked forward to.

It took twenty minutes for the story to be read, Stevie once again tucked in with several kisses and for the night light to be turned on. Both women snuck over to the door as the young man drifted off almost instantly into sleep. They stood and stared for several moments before they made their way to their shared room. It was the start of many days together. It was the start of a real family. Cynthia smiled at them as she made her way to her room, having given the trio a chance to bond.

Sara threw herself on the bed. She watched as her wife checked the secure e-mails. They had not heard back from Emily's contact in almost a week. They both had hoped he'd have more information on the fake Ms. Winters or maybe been able to trace where the threatening e-mails were coming from. So far, the ex-soldier had not had any luck on her own, not that she was highly technical. In fact, she was thinking of asking her old army buddy in California.

The doctor knew something wasn't quite right with her wife, but was holding her tongue to see if Emily would open up like she finally had about the nightmares. Luckily since having talked about them, more than once, they had become less severe. Just like the nightmares of the day that Alicia had died in the soldier's arms, they would never fully go away. Finally Sara decided she needed to get changed. Usually sleeping in the nude, a child that could have nightmares changed that.

The ex-soldier turned off the computer and made her way next to where her wife was standing. They both took out the night clothes reserved for when they were too tired to make love. Emily sighed knowing she had to discuss this with her wife before they went to sleep. Waiting until they were both snuggled into bed, the sultry voice rang out in the dark. "I didn't want to bother you with this at work, but your mother stopped by."

Though it was dark and Sara could just barely make out the blue eyes of her wife, she still sprang into a sitting position. She was staring, not at her wife, but at something unseen. It took a moment for her mind to process what her wife had just told her. "So, she stopped by again." There was anger and hurt tainting her voice. "Let me guess. She didn't expect you to be here. She was only here to see Cynthia again."

The ex-soldier played with her lower lip for several moments as she debated whether to tell Sara what she truly thought. Never being able to lie or keep anything from her wife, she decided to bite the bullet. "Actually, I really think she wanted to reach out to you first." Though she could not see it, Emily felt the glare coming from her wife. The doctor had the deadliest stares in the world. "I think she's honestly scared of the rejection from you. Not sure why, but Cynthia's rejection is easier to handle."

The petite blond thought about that for a moment before settling back to a much relieved Emily's side. "I guess I can see that. I mean, blood is thicker than…" She trailed off at the thought. "No, that doesn't make sense." She leaned up and gave her wife a kiss on the lips before snuggling against her. "I mean I consider you my blood family. I also now consider Stevie that and I've always considered Cynthia that. Family is family regardless if you are blood related or not."

Emily gave her wife a squeeze. "I know. I've had to feel that way for a long time. I mean the way Damion treated me growing up." She shrugged, attempting not to dislodge her wife from the comfortable position they found themselves in. "The general, Martha and Jessica were more of a family after both Mom and Dad died." Her voice was full of emotion. It was still difficult for her to deal with the five people who raised her being gone.

"We are born into families." Something was making Sara say the words. It was as if something was reaching across time. "Sometimes they don't always understand or accept us. That's why it's so important to make families. Right now, we have each other and have for almost fifteen years. We have Cynthia and we just added Stevie. One day, we can maybe add another child to our family. For now, we have a pretty good start."

"So, what are you going to do about your mother?" Emily knew that she was playing with fire. The subject of Ellen was one they avoided normally. With her wife's mother now having made more than a couple attempts to contact Cynthia, it signaled that the woman was not going away. True she had left the ball in their court. It still meant that they had to deal with her at some point. The raven haired woman would rather do it sooner rather than later.

"I don't know." Sara sighed heavily. It would be nice for Stevie to have one grandparent around. Cynthia was going to be the closest at this point. He would have an aunt and uncle thanks to Emily's brother coming around, not to mention a cousin who was getting married in about three weeks. "Though there is a lot of pain I still feel with the rejection of Mom all these years, maybe it is time to see what she has to say. I mean, it couldn't hurt."

Emily smiled into the short blond locks that she was snuggled up against. The scent of her wife was causing something to stir in her. Sara seemed to sense the fact that her soldier was becoming aroused as small hands began to roam over the long frame of the raven haired woman. "I think we should intimately celebrate bringing our son home." She was rewarded by a fiery kiss that stole her breath away.

"No! Not the fire!" The screams were enough to put a damper on the party that had begun for the couple. Both were out of bed and across the hall before the next set of screams could take place. Emily never hesitated. She simply picked the boy up and placed him in her lap. Stevie was sweating. Her heart was aching for the pain that he was experiencing yet again in his nightmares. "It hurts. It hurts!" The chant kept coming from his tiny mouth.

Sara had the lamp on and was unwrapping the cloths that covered his burns. They were already healing. The pain, she knew, was mostly in his mind. Still it wouldn't hurt to let him know that she was there and was going to take care of him just like she had at the clinic. "Well it's a good thing Dr. House is here. Of course your…mom and your mama are here too." The boy looked at her, his eyes wide. "If you want, you can call me momma and Emily mom. But only when you're ready."

The doctor took off for the bathroom unable to handle the possible rejection of the boy. She hastily returned with all the supplies that she needed. Once again, she was telling a story. It was one that she had been told as a child of a soldier who rescued the fair maiden. It wasn't until now that the story really hit home for the petite blond as her soldier held her son in her arms. Their son she had to correct. After getting the bandages once again in place, it was obvious the boy was not going to go to sleep.

Emily picked the boy up and carried him to their shared bedroom. Both she and Sara had an early start to the day. It didn't matter. What mattered was the fact that their son needed them. "What do you say that just for tonight we watch a movie? I'm not that sleepy. What do you say, Momma?" The petite blond blushed at the name, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. She nodded to let her wife know that it was all right, more than all right.

Soon a cartoon was in the DVD player and the three were snuggled up together. The days ahead were going to be even bumpier than this day had been. Jade and Bonnie were already working on a plan. Ms. Winters was far from out of the picture. After all was said and done, Ellen was going to be the most powerful ally that the two women had. For now, the three drifted off to sleep as the cartoons continued to play on, safe in the cocoon of a family.


	5. Chapter 5

Anne Wilson was on her lunch break. At least that was what she had told Emily before she had left the ranch. It was going to be one long lunch break. It was one she hoped wouldn't get her fired. She needed to be where she was desperately. As the sandy blond made her way through the winding roads which lead to the main highway, her mind went to a couple weeks prior. The raven haired woman had caught her somewhere she wasn't supposed to be. She wondered if either of her bosses suspected.

The ranch hand took a deep breath as she made her way along the sparsely lined streets. It was a small town they all called home. Whispering Winds was a town in Virginia that few people even heard of let alone had ever been to. The administration building flashed by. Anne smiled sadly at the thought of what had transpired there a week ago. Stevie was already a handful. He was skittish around people but not the animals. The young woman had fallen in love with him in an instant.

It was hazardous to her job that she allowed such feelings to enter into the equation at all. Though she had been hired for one job, there was another that was taking precedent. The place that she pulled into was one of the newer buildings in the small town. She pulled in next to a brand new shiny car that had to have cost over seventy five thousand easily. The woman shivered at the thought of how the vehicle had been paid for. Closing her eyes for a moment to strengthen her resolve, she made her way up the walk.

The doorbell sounded hollow in her head. Maybe it was because of what was inside. There was a hollow person who probably had all sorts of things money can buy. Anne knew better than that. Money wasn't everything. But at this point in time, it was what made her world go round, for better or for worse. The door opened to reveal a petite woman with black hair. Their eyes met for a moment before the woman hurriedly ushered the sandy blond inside.

"Are you sure you weren't followed?" Bonnie made her way into the kitchen. It was the room that had the least amount of windows. Even having her little friend come here was a risk. It was a calculated risk as Sara was busy at work and Emily was doing her things with the horses. Of course the ex-soldier was also being kept very busy with a certain little boy. The raven haired woman hoped that Anne was being careful. She really didn't want to shoot the young woman.

"Of course not. I do know what I'm doing. I was selected to do this for a reason." Anne smiled. It was a hollow smile. Five years ago she was recruited personally to go undercover at the Kingston-House Ranch. She wondered why they had named it with both last names when Sara had changed hers to Emily's. It was something she would most likely never know the answer to. Not if things were to go the way she feared. "I know who the boss is. Either you or Mr. Idles would surely take care of me."

Bonnie stopped pouring the glasses of wine. She blinked. Mr. Idles rarely if ever spoke so freely about their bosses. Even without using Jade or Jasmine's name, it was made clear who she was referring to. Allen simply gave her instructions knowing she would follow them to the letter. After her first meeting and the gun so neatly pointed at her head, the raven haired woman knew better than to even attempt to ask questions.

"You are very wise. But I wouldn't even hint at who are benefactor is." Bonnie handed the sandy blond the glass of wine. Anne stared at it before placing it on the countertop. "Sorry if it's not your vintage. I'm beginning to appreciate the finer things in life. Of course where I spent the last fifteen years would do that to almost anyone." The raven haired woman took a healthy swallow of her wine. "Now, let's get down to business. Do you have them?"

Anne reached into her overcoat and pulled out the crudely sketched drawings. It was what she had been doing for over the past year. She would go out on her lunches and map out the property of the ranch. True, one could go to the courthouse and get a map of the property. But it wasn't the same. There were little buildings that had been built for shelters. The sandy blond had found out some were small cabins for when the married couple wanted to watch nature and be warm during the spring, fall and winter.

There were a few small details which the sandy blond had left off from the map. Like the fact that there was a small abandoned copper mine. The entrance was almost impossible to find. Anne wasn't even sure that Emily knew about it. What little exploring she had done, it appeared as if no one had been in the mine for years. Then again, her boss was former Special Forces. If anyone knew how to cover her tracks it would be the forest ranger.

There were other details left out of the sketch. But it would keep Bonnie busy. She wondered if Jade or Jasmine would know that she left things out. From her little bit of dealings with the Columbian drug lords, it was as if each of them had some kind of sixth sense. It was rather frightening. And yet, it wasn't. There were things about the young ranch hand which no one knew. Her past was so well hidden not even the scrutiny the CIA could place on it could reveal certain things.

Anne simply waited as the raven haired woman looked at the maps. It was obvious that she had no idea what she was actually looking at. For a moment, the ranch hand wondered why it was that Bonnie had been hired. Questions like that could lead to serious trouble. Though what she was doing could always lead to trouble, she was not about to actively seek such trouble. It was irritating not being able to just explain what was on the pages.

"I don't know exactly what I'm looking at." Bonnie smirked. "I knew someone in the military. They tried to teach me how to read a map." She shrugged not wanting to go into further detail. She knew that there was an unspoken rule between the employers of Jade and Jasmine. The less personal information you revealed, the better it was for everyone. "I'll just be a minute. I have to send these to the proper channels. If you don't want wine, there's water in the fridge."

As tempted as she was with missing her actual lunch and all, there was no way Anne was going to trust anything from the apartment she was in. Perhaps she was being overly cautious, but something just wasn't setting right with the woman. If memory served correctly, this was the woman who had accidentally destroyed a motel after planting a bomb attempting to rid the world of both Emily and Sara. The thought caused her to shiver.

The sandy blond made her way closer to the counter. Anne almost, almost jumped when she heard a voice being cleared. Her hand quickly withdrew from underneath the counter. She tilted her head as if bored with waiting. Bonnie eyed her for a moment before closing the distance between them. After handing some pages to the ranch hand, she took hold of her wine glass swirling it a few times before once again taking a healthy swallow.

Anne watched her. This was only their second meeting. Before now, she had dealt with Mr. Idles. Something in those dead eyes caused her to swallow. It truly was as if this woman was already dead. Was she just going through the motions because Jade and Jasmine had something on her? No, something told her she would be going after Emily and Sara no matter what. Still, there was something she could see there, something keeping the light burning.

Wanting and needing to know as much as she could without stirring up trouble, Anne made a mental note to check into the raven haired woman's past. Obviously there was the connection with Emily. Why had she attempted to harm the ex-soldier in the first place? What was behind the light that she could just barely see flickering in those deadened eyes? A few other questions were running around in her head. Now was not the time to seek answers.

Right now she needed to see what her bosses had to say and get back to the ranch as quickly as she possibly could. After quickly scanning the pages, she smiled. They had accepted the map even though it wasn't complete. Perhaps it was enough for whatever it was they were planning. Anne internally sighed. She hated doing this. Emily and Sara had been nothing but good to her in the five years she had known them. Still, she had to do what she had to do.

"Thanks for the new set of orders. When you speak to the bosses, you can tell them it should be another week." When the dark eyebrow rose, Anne quickly continued. "Look. I have to dodge Emily. She's been home more than ever since they took in the kid." She almost let slip how the forest ranger had mentioned how she was considering giving up her position. That was something, for now, she was going to keep under her own hat. "I have to be careful. She is ex-Special Forces."

The growl and the lunge were not what Anne expected. Luckily she was well disciplined in a few martial arts. After going with the momentum of Bonnie's tackle, she used the strength in her legs to cause the slightly smaller woman to fly across the room. The ranch hand's aim was true as the raven haired woman landed softly and without harm on the large couch in the living room. Had her aim been a little off, the insane woman would have hit the side of the brick fireplace.

"I don't know what the…" Anne kept herself from swearing. It wasn't because she cared if she cursed in front of the woman who had just attacked her. It was because she had made it known to Emily and Sara that she didn't curse. Now, though it was very difficult, she attempted not to use foul language. With her upbringing, it was beyond difficult. "I don't know why you just attacked me, but be warned. I have several black belts in several different disciplines. I could kill you with one hit so don't test me."

Bonnie was breathing deeply. It wasn't from being tossed across the apartment, though that wasn't all that pleasant. It wasn't even from the last part, which she could and did take as a threat. The deep breathing was an attempt to calm her body. The words had been a reminder of her husband. They were also a reminder of Emily. One last deep cleansing breath and she was finally able to respond. "Please don't ever say Special Forces to me. One of my triggers. That's all I'm going to say."

"Fine. I'll make a mental note of it." Anne was also trying to keep her breathing even. It was lucky for the raven haired woman she had all those disciplines. If not, she would have beaten the living tar out of the smaller woman for coming at her that way. It was just instinctive reflexes. "I'll not say anything about it anymore, nor will I mention where I work." There was another low growl. Quickly, she was on her way to the door. "I won't give you anymore warnings. Next time, you'll bleed."

The door slammed behind her. Anne knew she should not have slammed the door possibly drawing attention to herself. It was the anger getting the better of her. As fast as her legs could carry her, she was in her car and driving. The one lone fast food restaurant was as good as any place to stop for just a moment. It took longer than normal for her to calm herself. Another mental note was made to begin her exercises once again. It would not be a good thing to be so far off center.

Not now it wouldn't. After five years, things were finally coming to fruition. Truth be told, it had been longer than that. She had been in training almost since birth for this particular moment. She was not about to mess up something that was so important to so many people. And not just because her head could roll if things didn't work out the way they were supposed to. Anne had an old debt to settle. It was time to pay up.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Washington DC. Political Hill. Whatever nasty terms one could have for the capital of the United States were running through Ellen's mind. Though it had been almost fifteen years since she had been a major player, she still had some clout. Her husband's disgraces luckily did not affect her in the least. Funny how in the past a spouse of a political figure was shamed right along with them. The petite blond was not like other political spouses.

Long ago she had made a niche for herself. While standing by her husband through thick and thin, at least until she realized he was a tad bit more dangerous than she had initially presumed, she had also been on a few committees and led some fundraising for the Republican Party. Of course her ties had been severed from that particular organization when she realized there were those who had supported Henry because of his dealings with the Columbians.

Now Ellen hated politics with a passion. She never did fundraising for any of the parties. She never made any appearances. Instead, she was more than happy to stay away from the political scene in any form it took. That was until today. It seemed there was a greater reason to involve herself with her old friends than just her daughters and Cynthia. For some odd reason, the timing of which made no sense, the matriarch learned that she was now a grandmother.

Derrick had been even more surprised when she had asked for him to take her to just outside the White House. A meeting was setup with someone that Ellen had had a dalliance with long before she met Henry. Had things been different over thirty years ago, she might have been tempted to stay with the woman. At the time, it had not become sexual. Not for lack of trying on Marjorie's part. But it had been the first sexual awakening, of course the petite blond had ignored it easily.

Ellen tried not to snort at the thought of how easy it had been to hide that part of herself. The way she had been raised, sexual desire was nothing. It was all about love and respect. If you happened to be sexually attracted to the one you loved, it was simply a bonus. Never in a million years had she thought that being in love and being aroused sexually went hand in hand. Perhaps that was why she had fallen for the power hungry ideas that Henry spouted.

Derrick pulled the car up next to the curb even though there was no actual place to park. "Be back here in exactly twenty minutes." The man looked at her in the rearview mirror for the longest of moments. It was beginning to feel like a cloak and dagger situation. This, to him, was above his pay grade. "You won't be in any trouble, I promise you." When she smiled, it caught the driver even more off guard. It was rare when Ellen smiled anymore.

"Yes, Ma'am." Derrick watched as she got out of the car instead of waiting for him to open the door for her. Slowly, the matriarch made her way to a park bench which faced the White House. There was already a redhead in a brown trench coat sitting there. Though the driver was a distance away, it was obvious to anyone it was a woman. He simply shook his head and carefully reentered traffic. There was a park not far. He'd park there and wait.

The petite blond made her way down the sidewalk. She almost felt like she was in some political thriller or something. Though the meeting was out in the open, it was still clandestine. The redhead looked her up and down as she sat down. While there was still a thrill when Marjorie clearly appreciated her body, it was not like when Cynthia had. Hopefully one day the cook would look at her again like that. "Marjorie, thanks for coming."

A snort escaped the tall redhead. "Like I really had a choice." The trench coat she was wearing was thin and open. Partially it was because spring was starting to makes its presence known. It being the first week of April, it was about time. Partially it was because she was hoping to keep her former love interested in her and not why they were here. She was retired from the agency. She would rather not delve back into it, not even for the one that got away.

"We all have choices." Ellen turned so she was looking at the redhead. Time had been good to the woman. There were very few wrinkles. Her hair was just a little less vibrant than it once was. Her emerald eyes were even a deeper shade than she remembered. For a moment, the matriarch got lost in the eyes. It was something she remembered doing a long time ago. "In this case, I have no choice of asking for help. It was a matter of who to ask."

The last statement made her take notice. _So, you had choices on who to turn to. How come I'm not surprised by this? You are still a beautiful woman. After Henry's demise, you could have had anyone. Why are you still alone?_ Marjorie had done some digging after her first love had requested the meeting. It was something almost anyone could have dug up. Then again, not everyone was former CIA. "I see. So why am I being honored?"

Ellen sighed heavily. There were two reasons. One, her other contacts might just lead to Henry's old pals. Emily and Sara were in enough danger without her attempting to help only to find she had become a bigger hindrance. The second reason was not one she was going to share. Making someone jealous only to get their attention once again was stupid and childish. "Let's just say I remember how resourceful you can be."

That caused Marjorie to snort. It was the last thing she had thought her first love would say. It had so many meanings and so many interpretations. Still, she figured Ellen meant it exactly how she said it. The redhead was how the book was taught on being a spy. She practically wrote the manual herself, at least for female agents. "You know that I can be. Just wish I could have been better at persuasion." It was a line, but she just had to cross it.

The blush went from Ellen's hairline all the way underneath her buttoned silk blouse. The matriarch had made one miscalculation. Her fiery redhead of an ex always knew which buttons to push. It had been a long time since anyone pushed those particular buttons. "I'll leave and go to my second and third options if you keep that up." Her arms were crossed over her chest. The look on Marjorie's face was one of amusement. "Fine. See you later."

Marjorie moved so quickly, it took both Ellen and the redhead by surprise when the petite blond fell in her lap. The situation was quickly rectified, but not before causing a stirring in both women. "I'm sorry. I overdo the teasing." The former CIA agent sighed heavily. "If you came to me, it must have something to do with your daughter and her wife." The wide eyes showed the surprise on the matriarch's face. "No I haven't been keeping track, but when you called for the meeting…"

A hand was gently held up. "I get the picture. If I had your resources, I'd do the same." Ellen pulled out the file she had on Emily and Sara. It wasn't much. At least it was incomplete. The past fifteen years were only small moments of things here and there. "It isn't much. I'm sure you know what happened fifteen years ago." There was a nod of the head. "Well, it seems to be happening again. I don't know what they are. I'm not in the lives of my daughter and her wife. I just know there have been threats. And they just took in a three year old boy last week."

The redhead shook her head. There really wasn't a whole lot to go on as she skimmed the folder. But it was enough to get her started. There would be a lot of favors she would need to call in. And she'd have to be careful which ones to call in. The spy game was not about who you could trust. It was about who would screw you over the least. "I'll work on this. I'm not an active operative anymore. But I'll do what I can. I'll call you tomorrow."

Without a word, Marjorie stood and made her way down the sidewalk. Ellen quickly stood. Part of her wanted to go after the fiery redhead. It wasn't out of a rekindling sexual attraction. It was out of obligation. It was out of her sense of propriety. It would be better if they weren't seen together for a little while. It was dangerous enough just to be seen talking. But this was for her girls and her grandson. She would do anything for her family. Anything.

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"Are you sure this is a good thing?" Cynthia watched as Emily was dragging down the suitcases. Her old army buddy was understandably reluctant in speaking to the soldier on the phone or via the internet. He had suggested that they come for a visit. The forest ranger had already given her two weeks' notice. All of which was going to have to be served on vacation as they would not pay her for her accumulated time otherwise. "Stevie has only been here a week."

Emily carefully set the luggage on the table in the hallway before pressing the button to have the ladder retract and the attic sealed off. It was one of her inventions should someone attempt to trap them in the house. It was akin to a panic room but so much more. She turned so that she was looking into worried eyes. "If you're worried about you, don't be. I already made some arrangements. This place will be secure while we're gone."

Cynthia crossed her arms over her chest. She was mildly annoyed, but mostly she was touched that Emily would think of her safety. Of course she shouldn't be surprised as it was always the ex-soldier watching out for others and not for herself. "You think I was worried about being here alone?" Her head was shaking for emphasis. "All I was worried about was the fact that Stevie has never traveled and has had nightmares every night. Not to mention how trouble almost always seems to follow you."

The raven haired woman simply shrugged. It was true. She had thought going on the run like she had fifteen years ago would have helped the situation. Instead, it had actually brought them almost more danger than they could handle. This was different. They were not running from anything. In fact, all they were doing was searching for answers. "I appreciate you worrying. Sara has said it'll be a good thing for Stevie to see more of the world. As for trouble? I am trouble."

The cook snorted at the thought. It was true. Even not being at physical one hundred percent tip top shape, Emily was a force to be reckoned with, especially if the threat involved her family member. Cynthia remembered well how she acted at the cabin. If it had been anyone but Sara's mother, the person would have had a death wish or at least some broken bones. "I know you are. And with a capital T." They both chuckled at the thought.

"Mom!" Stevie took that moment to wake up from his nap. It wasn't the terrified voice he usually woke up with. But it was still with a little but of unsureness. Perhaps that was because the boy had just begun to call her 'mom' the day before. Or maybe it was him still not being sure that this was all real. Sadly Emily could understand how it must feel to find everything you ever wanted only to be so fearful it would be taken away, you were literally scared stiff. "Hey."

The tall woman gracefully made her way into the room. As she got nearer to the bed, she recognized a certain smell. When you were trapped in a desert with no bathrooms, the smell was something that became ingrained in one's memory. It was sadly something which had occurred a few times already when Stevie had taken a nap. The young boy seemed to be worried about being punished. "Cynthia, could you get a fresh set of sheets for Stevie's bed."

The sandy blond burst into tears. Not caring if there was the possibility that she could end up with clothing soaked in urine, Emily picked the boy out of his bed and hugged him with everything she had. "No tears. We've told you that before, young man. Mistakes are gonna happen." Her words seemed to make him cry even harder. The raven haired woman stood, keeping a tight hold on her son. "All right, Little Man. That's enough tears. You know tears make your momma sad."

Stevie hiccupped, he had been crying so hard. He sighed heavily. "I don't want momma be sad." Emily's face lit up. Though she and the boy had a special bond, there seemed to be something even more between her wife and their son. Was she jealous? Maybe a little. As long as both her son and wife were happy, it didn't matter to her. "She be sad if we can't go, huh?" For only three, he was a very smart young man and very observant.

"You know it. So, let's get you cleaned up and changed while Aunt Cynthia makes up the bed for us." Emily had to switch the boy's weight to her good arm. Some days she cursed her wife's profession for not being able to help her arm more. She also knew that an injury like hers having occurred during the Vietnam War most likely would have meant amputation. The thought made her smile sadly as she carried her son into the bathroom.

It wasn't long before the bathtub was filled with a little boy, suds and of course a lot of toys. Emily sat on the little stool they had bought just so they could be in the room when Stevie took his baths. It was padded but waterproof. Of course it wasn't long before the big kid was playing with the toys. The ex-soldier and the sandy haired boy were having the time of their lives. The forest ranger was delighted she had taken his mind off his little accident.

Both big kid and little kid were so engrossed in playing with the toys they never heard the soft footsteps. Even being in her own home, that was unusual for the six foot tall woman. Sara stood in the doorway watching with fascination how her wife reacted so easily with their son. She'd been witnessing it for the past week. But this was a defenseless moment. This was the two of them already bonding. It made the doctor's heart swell.

"Looks like you've got the floor washed as well as yourselves." Two heads turned and peered at the petite blond. Emily could see the twinkle in her wife's eyes. There might be a serious look on her face, but she was actually enjoying it. Stevie immediately put himself in the protective arms of his dark haired hero. Green eyes took this in. Eventually they would be able to tease him. It was clear he was not ready to be teased about certain things. "It needed washing. You did a good job."

That produced a smile out of her son. Stevie even giggled as Emily suddenly buried him in an extra-large extra fluffy towel. The boy continued to giggle as the tall woman slid by her wife and made her way into the boy's bedroom where Cynthia was just finishing up with the bed. The older woman smiled. "Why don't I help get Stevie dressed and then help pack his bag." Before Sara had gone to the bathroom, she had told her she needed to speak to the forest ranger, alone.

The cook knew what that meant. It meant there had been another threat or something like that. It wasn't anything good. So the older woman decided to take it upon herself to help out, as she always did, without actually asking. Sara looked extremely grateful when the gray eyed woman made the suggestion. Stevie was gently placed on the ground. The burns he suffered from were now just very raw and very angry looking. No more bandages would be needed. "Aunt Cynthy, can I take my videos?"

Emily chuckled softly. They had gone to the store over the weekend and bought a lot of Disney and other children's movies. If left to his own devices, that's all he would do all day was to watch all his movies over and over again. Luckily the forest ranger was home and kept him from staying inside the entire day. They were both bound and determined to lead by example in how they ate and how active of a lifestyle they lived.

Sara was next to her. Green eyes met blue and Emily knew that something was up. She had sort of sensed it before, but now she knew something wasn't right. "Don't make it too heavy, champ." It was another of the many nicknames that their son was earning already. The tall woman winked as she told him, "You have to carry your own bag. I know you have muscles, but you don't have to show them off." Stevie giggled as the shirt was being pulled over his head.

The couple watched a minute more before they made their way to their bedroom. Emily gathered the two suitcases as she walked down the hallway. It was in silence they packed for a little while before Sara halted what she was doing. She took out her cell phone and handed it to her wife. The ex-soldier took in what was on the screen. It was a new threat all right. How whoever got the pictures was almost too easily guessed. It was a picture of the trio as they were getting out of the administration building the day they brought their son home.

It wasn't either of the adults that had a bull's eye on them. It was their little boy who was being threatened. It was a risk, they knew before they had decided to start fostering the young boy. So much thought had gone into whether they should or not. Sara had said one simple thing that had convinced both of them. If anyone could protect him and the doctor, it was the ex-soldier. There was no one more intelligent and had the skills she had that was as close to the situation.

"I figured this was coming." Emily handed her the phone. She hoped it didn't seem or sound nonchalant. It was anything but that. It was the soldier in her which was coming out from its long dormant sleep. Whoever was the one behind this was not doing it very intelligently. After all, it was like waking a momma bear from hibernation by threatening one of her offspring. She might not have the roar coming out vocally, it was there internally.

Sara took the phone back. She had already forwarded the picture to their secured laptop which they were bringing with them. The picture had come in just before she had put her phone on vibrate to start her half day at the clinic. It had taken her everything not to just come home and seek comfort in her wife's arms. Of course she knew there was really nothing that Emily could do at the moment. It was like all the others. It was sent from a burn phone, almost impossible to trace.

Emily's friend in California had created a lot of programs over the years. They hoped he would be able to, not necessarily tell them who was sending them as they had a pretty good idea. It was more they were hoping he could tell them where the messages were coming from. Jaden, no doubt, had hired someone. Where that someone was located was the main issue. If they were near where they lived, they would have to take the proper precautions. More so than they already were.

It was silent as they packed. After being on the road so much when they first met, they hadn't traveled a whole lost since then. There was the honeymoon, but that was spent in the cabin only about forty five minutes away. There was their tenth anniversary but that too had been spent in the cabin. They had only gone out of state when their niece had graduated from the academy. Other than that, they were more than happy to stay home.

Emily picked up both suitcases and made her way to the Jeep. Stevie tried to follow her out but was held back by Sara. She scooped her little boy up and took him into the living room. The two sat on the couch next to one another. "I just wanted you to remember what we talked about. We're going to be around a lot of strangers. If you ever feel uncomfortable, just tell your Mom or I. We'll always protect you from the bad guys. And we'll always make you happy the best we can."

Stevie wasted no time in giving his momma a hug. "Thanks, Big Man. We better get going before your Mom comes looking for us." That got a round of giggles out of both the adult and the child. A few minutes later, the trio was on their way to the airport. It was a long drive and they stopped to get something to eat before they dropped the Jeep off in long term parking. The trio was now at the gate waiting to board their plane.

It was late and Stevie had fallen asleep in his Mom's arms. The two adults were happy to sit in silence. That was until Emily thought about something. "Are you sure you're over whatever bug you had?" Sara looked at her wife quizzically. "Last I knew you were having trouble keeping things down in the morning. Was it some kind of twenty four hour thing?" The doctor's answer was interrupted by the calling of the boarding of their area on the flight.

Soon they had Stevie settled in the seat between them. Emily, with her long legs, was sitting on the aisle. Sara also knew that it was because it was easier for the ex-soldier to keep an eye on the other passengers. There was silence between them as the plane readied for takeoff. There was something Sara wanted to tell her wife, but now was not the time. It was happy news and something that could wait until they got back from the trip.

Almost six hours later, the trio was in the hotel under a fake name. Emily handed her fake ID to the clerk, chuckling at the name that Sara had used before they had met. 'Ima H. Otstuff' was a unique name. The ex-soldier wondered how many police officers or bouncers the ID had actually fooled. Perhaps it was the amazing blond woman that had done all the fooling. They were settling into the room as it was almost midnight local time.

The front desk called up. There was someone down in the lobby waiting to meet with Beverly Lyndsay. Since Emily had only made the name up the day before, she wondered who it could be. Stevie was luckily asleep still. It was something she didn't want to do, but she knew she had to. The ex-soldier handed her wife the gun. It was a small petite gun. But it would get the job done. Reluctantly the doctor had practiced over the years, just in case.

"I want you to stay here with Stevie. If I'm not back in an hour or haven't called to give you an update, call the police. Call Isaac or call Jeremy. They both still have enough contacts with the CIA to help you out." Emily wrapped her long arms around her wife, holding her as tight as she dared without impeding her breathing. "I promise I'll be careful. And no matter what happens, I'll always live in here." The ex-soldier touched her wife's chest where her heart was beating a million times a minute.

"You better come back to me, Emily Madison House." Sara leaned up and kissed her wife with passion. It was more than simple passion. It was with ownership. It was with everything in her being that she could muster. "I'll take care of Stevie. But I won't have to as his Mom will take good care of him and me." Another long kiss ensued. "Go. The sooner you go the sooner we can find out about what is going on."

Sara shuddered as she watched the various guns being placed on her wife's body. It was a simple shift. It was interesting as always to watch. Emily was no longer her wife and soulmate. Of course she would always be both. But right now, she was Captain Emily House, Special Forces. She was the super soldier that no one in their right mind would want to go against. The suitcases that she had come up with so that they could move weapons terrified the doctor if they were to get in the wrong hands.

A huge breath escaped the ex-solider as the elevator dinged alerting her to the fact that she was on the main floor. She waited for an elderly couple to make their way on before she made her way into the lobby. The blue eyes scanned the area, desperate to find sight of anyone she might recognize. Only one figure somewhat stood out. The extreme facial hair and the shoulder length brown hair made it almost impossible to tell for sure.

If Emily had to guess, the man staring out from under dark shaded glasses and a baseball cap was her former underling. One that it was found was working for Sara's father instead of actually following orders given by his superiors in the Army. Last the ex-solider knew he was in prison somewhere. He had made vague threats against her because it was her testimony which had been the clincher in getting him dishonorably discharged from the military.

The raven haired woman made her way to the front desk. "I received a call that someone wanted to see me in the lobby." The person at the desk immediately began to fidget. It was only a few seconds, but his brow broke out in a ring of perspiration. Right then and there, Emily knew this was a setup. She of course had known it before, but how the person was reacting to her simple statement told her that it was a dangerous setup.

Emily waited for the figure in the baseball cap to make his way over to her. It wasn't long before she felt the barrel of a silencer in the middle of her back. Inwardly she was smiling. Outwardly, she was all soldier. "I would call you Lieutenant Roberts, but you lost that rank along with your dignity a long time ago." The gun was shoved rougher into her sweatshirt. "Let's take this somewhere more privately, shall we?"

The scruffy man chuckled. "You aren't calling the shots anymore, Captain." The word was dripping with so much venom it almost stung. Almost. "But you have a very good idea. Conference room B. And don't attract any attention to yourself." Again, Emily was chuckling to herself. A woman that was six foot tall, not in heels, had long raven hair and the bluest eyes around not attracting attention? She was not being egotistical. It was years and years of listening to Sara tell her this.

The pair made their way out of public view. Emily was wondering if the hotel clerk had peed himself. She also wondered if he'd have the guts to call the police. A bribe had mostly taken place so it was unlikely he would have the guts to do the right thing. "You have the gun." Blue eyes took it in. She was standing against the wall. Her arms were at her side. "It's not very big or impressive. I'm sure it matches…you very well."

A bullet just grazed her arm as it went into the wall. Emily never flinched. She stood with her arms still at her side. The only thing she knew was that she had to be careful just how far she pushed the man. "Do you know I've spent the last five years homeless because of you? If you hadn't said what you said, I would still be in the Army or at least be comfortably retired. But you had to open up your big mouth telling them the connection you found."

Another bullet grazed Emily's other arm. Sara was going to kill her for allowing the wounds that were most likely going to need stitches. Her former lieutenant was slowly making his way closer and closer to the tall woman. "You know, I find it funny." The raven haired woman was shaking her head. She was waiting for the right moment to act. "People never take responsibility for their own actions. I'm not the one that took bribes. I'm not the one that was a lousy soldier. You did that all on your own."

"Bitch!" The gun went off again. This time the bullet safely embedded itself into the wall, not grazing Emily at all. The taller woman had launched herself at the crazy man. Their legs got tangled. There was a long struggle. Somehow, probably because of her weak shoulder, Roberts got the upper hand and was straddling his prey. "It's been a long time since anyone has had you in this position besides your wife." The gun was at her forehead. "Only I'm not going to ply you with kisses."


End file.
